In Essay #34, Concerning the General Power of Taxation, Alexander Hamilton hammers home the concept of concurrent powers – that the national government must have at least equal or greater powers than the individual states – particularly as they relate to taxation.
He argues that the national government’s power to tax must not be limited, because:
- It is impossible to know what will be required by future crises and challenges;
- Wars and rebellions will inevitably threaten the US just as they do every other country.
Accordingly, he argues, the national government must have wide powers to tax the people in order to have adequate funds to provide for the nation’s defense.
Credit for the summary and analysis of Essay #34 is given to Brittany Nelson and Christopher Higgins (second revision 09/15/2011). Weinbloom, Elizabeth ed. “The Federalist Papers Essay 34 Summary and Analysis”. GradeSaver, 30 December 2011 Web. 30 January 2019.
You can read the summary and analysis of Essay #34 by clicking HERE.