New Federalist Papers Essays in Defense of the Constitution

by Brinkley, Alan; Polsby, Nelson W.; Sullivan, Kathleen M.

• ISBN13: 9780393046199
• ISBN10: 0393046192
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-04-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

In the aftermath of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, three of its most gifted participants--Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay--wrote a series of eighty-five essays, published in newspapers throughout the nation, defending the proposed new government against its opponents. Those essays, known today as the Federalist Papers , explain the philosophical basis of the Constitution and defend the idea of republican government against charges that it would lead to tyranny. Today's political controversies call into question some of the principles that have shaped government through most of this century. New Federalist Papers , written by three constitutional experts, defends the representative democracy put in place by the framers of the Constitution. Like Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, the authors of New Federalist Papers see danger in the effort to diminish and relocate federal power. They recognize that it is the task of public discourse to bring about reasoned consideration of such issues as gun control, term limits, flag burning, the balanced budget amendment, and campaign finance reform.

Table of Contents

Preface	v
Richard C. Leone
Introduction	1	(6)
PART 1: THE FORESIGHT OF THE FRAMERS	7	(30)
Chapter 1. The Contemporary Relevance of The Federalist	7	(8)
Kathleen M. Sullivan
Chapter 2. The Assault on Government	15	(8)
Alan Brinkley
Chapter 3. The Challenge to Deliberative Democracy	23	(6)
Alan Brinkley
Chapter 4. On the Distinctiveness of the American Political System	29	(8)
Nelson W. Polsby
PART 2: MODERN POLITICS AND ITS DISCONTENTS	37	(24)
Chapter 5. The American Party System	37	(8)
Nelson W. Polsby
Chapter 6. The Presidential Campaign, British Style	45	(6)
Nelson W. Polsby
Chapter 7. Money in Presidential Campaigns	51	(4)
Nelson W. Polsby
Chapter 8. Campaign Finance Reform: A Response to Nelson W. Polsby	55	(6)
Alan Brinkley
PART 3: THE CONSTITUTION IN A WORD PROCESSOR	61	(26)
Chapter 9. What's Wrong with Constitutional Amendments?	61	(8)
Kathleen M. Sullivan
Chapter 10. Term Limits	69	(6)
Nelson W. Polsby
Chapter 11. Democracy and the Federal Budget	75	(6)
Kathleen M. Sullivan
Chapter 12. The Item Veto	81	(6)
Nelson W. Polsby
PART 4: DELICATE BALANCES	87	(52)
Chapter 13. Liberty and Community	87	(16)
Alan Brinkley
Chapter 14. Representation of Racial Minorities	103	(8)
Kathleen M. Sullivan
Chapter 15. The Balance of Power between the Federal Government and the States	111	(12)
Kathleen M. Sullivan
Chapter 16. Relegitimizing Government	123	(16)
Alan Brinkley
PART 5: THE NEXT MILLENNIUM	139
Chapter 17. The Privatization of Public Discourse	139	(12)
Alan Brinkley
Chapter 18. The Role of the Media in Representative Government	151	(8)
Kathleen M. Sullivan
Chapter 19. Constitutional Angst: Does American Democracy Work?	159
Nelson W. Polsby