The Federalist, the collection of essays penned by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the pseudonym of Publius to urge their fellow citizens to support ratification of the new Constitution, is the authoritative but unofficial explanation of America's government by those who created it. Though often assigned to high school students (and sometimes even read), it is rarely appreciated for its novel understanding of the problems free citizens face in establishing self-government that is also good government. Publius claims that the American Constitution has improved on all previous constitutions in making provision for Americans to achieve justice and the common good. By a close reading of the crucial argument in Federalist #10, Professor Muller will show how The Federalist can be used in high school classes to explain the spirit and distinctiveness of American government, and to highlight the contrast between it and other regimes. James W. Muller is Professor of Political Science at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Author:  James Muller

Duration: 01:35:16

Published: 2007-09-06

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