The Federalist Papers

On Federalist No. 73: The Provision For The Support of the Executive, and the Veto Power, a Reading Room essay

On Federalist No. 73: The Provision For The Sup...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton defends the president's salary protection and the veto power, framing the veto as a shield for the office and a check on hasty law. The aim is balance, giving...

On Federalist No. 73: The Provision For The Sup...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton defends the president's salary protection and the veto power, framing the veto as a shield for the office and a check on hasty law. The aim is balance, giving...

On Federalist No. 72: The Same Subject Continued, and Re-Eligibility of the Executive Considered, a Reading Room essay

On Federalist No. 72: The Same Subject Continue...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton argues for letting a president seek reelection, holding that the prospect of continuing in office encourages good conduct and preserves hard-won experience. Barring it, he warns, would waste talent...

On Federalist No. 72: The Same Subject Continue...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton argues for letting a president seek reelection, holding that the prospect of continuing in office encourages good conduct and preserves hard-won experience. Barring it, he warns, would waste talent...

On Federalist No. 71: The Duration in Office of the Executive, a Reading Room essay

On Federalist No. 71: The Duration in Office of...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton defends the four-year presidential term, arguing it gives the office enough independence to resist passing gusts of public mood while remaining answerable. Firmness and accountability, he insists, are not...

On Federalist No. 71: The Duration in Office of...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton defends the four-year presidential term, arguing it gives the office enough independence to resist passing gusts of public mood while remaining answerable. Firmness and accountability, he insists, are not...

On Federalist No. 70: The Executive Department Further Considered, a Reading Room essay

On Federalist No. 70: The Executive Department ...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton makes the case for a single, energetic executive, arguing that energy in the office is essential to good government, not a threat to it. Unity, he holds, brings the...

On Federalist No. 70: The Executive Department ...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton makes the case for a single, energetic executive, arguing that energy in the office is essential to good government, not a threat to it. Unity, he holds, brings the...

On Federalist No. 69: The Real Character of the Executive, a Reading Room essay

On Federalist No. 69: The Real Character of the...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton compares the president directly to the British king and the New York governor, showing the office to be far more limited than its critics claimed. Point by point, he...

On Federalist No. 69: The Real Character of the...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton compares the president directly to the British king and the New York governor, showing the office to be far more limited than its critics claimed. Point by point, he...

On Federalist No. 68: The Mode of Electing the President, a Reading Room essay

On Federalist No. 68: The Mode of Electing the ...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton explains the method of electing the president, defending the electors as a way to combine popular choice with considered judgment. The design, he argues, aims to keep the office...

On Federalist No. 68: The Mode of Electing the ...

Michael Fowler

Hamilton explains the method of electing the president, defending the electors as a way to combine popular choice with considered judgment. The design, he argues, aims to keep the office...