Saving our Constitutional Republic – A Review of Federalist Paper #17

In Federalist #17, The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union, Hamilton turns the tables on his opponents.

“He uses one of the core political beliefs of the anti-federalists against them. The anti-federalists believed that state governments ought to be given significant powers, since they can be most trusted to serve the interests of the people and protect their liberties. The anti-federalists believed that the national government under the proposed constitution would pose a threat to the people and overpower the states.”

“However, Hamilton bases his response on a professed faith in the enduring strength and influence of state governments. His argument implies that the states are indeed, as the anti-federalists believed, guardians of the rights of the people. He argues that, therefore, Americans have nothing to fear from a powerful central government since they will always have the state governments to stand up for their rights.”

Go to the GrAdeSaver Summary of Federalist #17