Commentary
[in chronological order]
The Founders’ Key: The Divine and Natural Connection between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It
- Arnn, Larry P. The Founders' Key: The Divine and Natural Connection between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012.As Far as Republican Principles Will Admit: Essays by Martin Diamond
- Diamond, Martin. As Far as Republican Principles Will Admit: Essays by Martin Diamond, ed. William Schambra. Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1992.Essays by one of the preeminent theorists of the American Founding. Of particular interest to students of the Federalist are essays entitled, “Ethics and Politics: the American Way,” “Democracy and the Federalist: A Reconsideration of the… More
The Discretionary President: The Promise and Peril of Executive Power
- Kleinerman, Benjamin A. The Discretionary President: The Promise and Peril of Executive Power. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2009.James Madison and the Spirit of Republican Self-Government
- Sheehan, Colleen A. James Madison and the Spirit of Republican Self-Government. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.In the first study that combines an in-depth examination of Madison’s National Gazette essays of 1791-92 with a study of The Federalist, Colleen Sheehan traces the evolution of Madison’s conception of the politics of communication and public… More
Understanding the Founding: The Crucial Questions
- Gibson, Alan Ray. Understanding the Founding: The Crucial Questions. Lawrence, Kan: University Press of Kansas, 2007.Interpreting the Founding: Guide to the Enduring Debates Over the Origins and Foundations of the American Republic
- Gibson, Alan Ray. Interpreting the Founding: Guide to the Enduring Debates Over the Origins and Foundations of the American Republic. Lawrence, Kan: University Press of Kansas, 2006.Duty Bound: Responsibility and American Public Life
- Blitz, Mark. Duty Bound: Responsibility and American Public Life. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005.America’s Constitution: A Biography
- Amar, Akhil Reed. America's Constitution: A Biography. New York: Random House, 2005.The Federalist Papers: A Commentary: “the Baton Rouge Lectures”
- Allen, W. B., and Kevin A. Cloonan. The Federalist Papers: A Commentary: "the Baton Rouge Lectures". New York: P. Lang, 2000.This book tells the story of The Federalist Papers as an accessible approach to the principles of the United States government. When looking at The Federalist Papers or the documents of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, one realizes that the writers of… More
Jaffa versus Mansfield: Does America Have a Constitutional or a ‘Declaration of Independence’ Soul?
- West, Thomas G. “Jaffa versus Mansfield: Does America Have a Constitutional or a ‘Declaration of Independence’ Soul?” Perspectives on Political Science 31, no. 4 (2002): 235–246.Major Works
The Federalist Papers
- Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist Papers. Edited by Clinton Rossiter and Charles R. Kesler. New York: Signet, 2003.Excerpt from Hamilton’s general introduction in Federalist 1: “AFTER an unequivocal experience of the inefficiency of the subsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate on a new Constitution for the United States of America. The… More
Multimedia
Charles Kesler on How to Think about The Federalist
- Charles Kesler, "How to Think About The Federalist," Notre Dame Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government (Online Event), August 27, 2020.Charles Kesler, editor of the Signet classic Federalist, shares his perspective on the political science of The Federalist.
The Political Lessons of The Federalist
- David Epstein, "The Political Ideas of The Federalist," Conversations with Bill Kristol, August 12, 2021.David Epstein, author of The Political Theory of The Federalist (1984), joins Bill Kristol to discuss why the work remains a model for political reflection. Epstein explains The Federalist‘s position on separation of powers, the nature of passions,… More
James Ceaser on James Madison as the First American Founder
- James Ceaser, "James Madison as the First American Founder," Conversations with Bill Kristol, March 11, 2019.In this Conversation with Bill Kristol, James Ceaser, one of the leading experts on the American Constitution, explains how in 1787 James Madison deliberately encouraged the drafters of the Constitution in Philadelphia and other Americans to conceive of… More
James Ceaser on the Constitution and “political” Constitutionalism
- James Ceaser, Conversations with Bill Kristol, March 2, 2015.In this episode of Conversations with Bill Kristol, James W. Ceaser, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia, discusses the Federalist‘s case for “rational reverence” for the Constitution. He also explains why the authors of… More
Harvey Mansfield on the Federalist
- Harvey Mansfield, Conversations with Bill Kristol, September 2, 2014.In this segment from Conversations with Bill Kristol, Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield explains the key features of the political science of Federalist.
Why did Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagree about representation?
- Gordon Wood, "Why did Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagree about representation?" The Choices Program, 17 Sept. 2012.The Making of the U.S. Constitution
- Gordon Wood, The Making of the U.S. Constitution, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) 12 June 2012.The Founders’ Key
- A lecture delivered by Dr. Larry P. Arnn at The Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship of Hillsdale College. This lecture took place on December 2, 2011 at The Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center in Washington D.C.Role of Government
- Video. Role of Government Panel Discussion hosted by the New Criterion Magazine, Princeton Club, New York City, November 9, 2010.Panelists were Harvey C. Mansfield, WIlliam Kristol and Amity Shlaes, Discussion of the Federalist, Progressive era, and other constitutional issues.