B4. The Federalist Papers

Cited today in forums ranging from Supreme Court opinions to Congressional debate to media commentaries, the 85 newspaper essays that appeared in the New York press in Fall 1787 and Spring 1788 to urge ratification of the Constitution now stand as the greatest American contribution to the history of Western political thought: The Federalist Papers. This course will explore their major themes, such as majority rule, individual rights, separation of powers and federalism.

GROUP LEADER:  Greg Weiner, PhD, is assistant professor of political science at Assumption College.  The author of American Burke: The Uncommon Liberalism of Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Madison’s Metronome: The Constitution, Majority Rule and the Tempo of American Politics, he has published widely on such issues as the separation of powers, the powers of the presidency, and the constitutional issues involved in the war on terrorism.

OPTIONAL BOOK:  (readings are all widely available online but this is the text I will cite): The Federalist: The Gideon Edition (editors: Carey and McClellan, publisher: Liberty Fund, ISBN: 978-0-86597-289-6, edition: 2001)

Please read James Madison, Vices of the Political System of the United States, http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-09-02-0187 .