Federalist Papers PowerPoint with a brief overview showing the purposes and intent of the Federalist Papers as they were written by various Founding Fathers (Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson) as they tried to show the logic and reasoning behind the proposed structure of the future U.S. Constitution, as they hammered out details prior to final ratification at the Constitutional Convention.

1. The Constitution’s MarketingThe Constitution’s Marketing
StrategyStrategy

2. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
BackgroundBackground
• A collection of 85
essays written to
promote the ratification
of the United States
Constitution.
• A 1787 version of a
modern-day public
relations/media
campaign. Copy of The Federalist
Papers
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/madison/images/vc16.jpg

3. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
BackgroundBackground
• Written to educate and influenceeducate and influence the
voters of New York and VirginiaNew York and Virginia.
– Both ere split on opinions of the Constitution.
– If either state voted against the Constitution,
other states were sure to follow.
– Combined the efforts of John Jay, JamesJohn Jay, James
Madison, and Alexander HamiltonMadison, and Alexander Hamilton.
• Wanted to explain and defend the Constitution.
• Hamilton wrote 5151, Madison 2929, and Jay 55.

4. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
Key Ideas:Key Ideas: FederalismFederalism
• Why federalism?
–Did not want an over-over-
dominant centraldominant central
authorityauthority (Britain) or
the instability andinstability and
disorganization of adisorganization of a
loose allianceloose alliance (Articles
of Confederation).
Copy of The Federalist
Papers
http://cspaf.uchicago.edu/images/images_page/3_essays.jpg

5. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
Key Ideas: FederalismKey Ideas: Federalism
• A new balance andbalance and
sharing of powersharing of power
between the central
government and the
states was possible.
• Had never existed
before in history, so the
Founding Fathers were
trying something
different.

6. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
Key Ideas: FederalismKey Ideas: Federalism
• SurvivalSurvival as a
respected nation
requiredrequired one thing:
the transfer ofthe transfer of
essential, butessential, but
limited, powers to thelimited, powers to the
national governmentnational government.
Georgia Militia During Rev
War
http://gagen.i-found-it.net/continental-army-1.jpg

7. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
Key Ideas:Key Ideas: Checks andChecks and
BalancesBalances
• First time a government used in its political
literature the ideals of Locke and Montesquieu
as a way of restricting government powerrestricting government power
and preventing abuseand preventing abuse.
– Use of a bicameral legislaturebicameral legislature to check the power
of each house.
– Establishment of separateseparate judicial, executive, and
legislative branches.
– Madison stated that “...office should check office...office should check office.”

8. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
Key Ideas: Human Nature and theKey Ideas: Human Nature and the
Purpose of GovernmentPurpose of Government
• Took a realistic view of
human nature.
– Man at his best was
capable of reason, self-capable of reason, self-
discipline, and fairnessdiscipline, and fairness.
– Man is also susceptible tosusceptible to
passion, intolerance, andpassion, intolerance, and
greedgreed.
– Government must have the
ability to control the
governed and itself.
Alexander Hamilton
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/alumni/Magazine/images/Fall2002/Hamilton.jpg

9. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
Federalist No. 10Federalist No. 10.
One of the most influential of all the Federalist essaysOne of the most influential of all the Federalist essays
– Madison wanted to break
the control and violence
caused by political factions.
– Passions or special
interests that are united and
politically active can have
an adverse effect on society
and destroy the will of thedestroy the will of the
majoritymajority.
James Madison
http://www.bartleby.com/124/madison.gif

10. The Federalist PapersThe Federalist Papers
Federalist No. 10Federalist No. 10
– Strong political factions can
divide the country along
religious, political, orreligious, political, or
economic lineseconomic lines.
– It is the job of the government
to prevent any faction from
imposing its will against that
of the general public.
– Unworthy leaders will have
difficulty winning if the
geographic area for votinggeographic area for voting
is largeris larger. James Madison
http://news.mst.edu/images/JamesMadison_f.jpg