the federalist papers · madison, hamilton, jay

Eighty-five essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, published as Publius in 1787 and 1788 to argue for ratifying the Constitution. They explain the extended republic and the control of faction, separation of powers and checks and balances, and the energetic executive, and they remain the authoritative commentary on the American design.

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, The Federalist Papers, edited by Isaac Kramnick (Penguin Books, 1987). Read in Junior Fall at Torrey Honors: numbers 1 to 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14 to 16, 21, 23, 37 to 39, 51, 57, 84 and 85. Read again in the Roots of American Order summer seminar, June 2026: numbers 1, 9, 10, 23, 39, 47 to 51 and 85.