Alan Brinkley, Nelson W. Polsby, and Kathleen M. Sullivan
New Federalist Papers
Essays in Defense of the Constitution
A Twentieth Century Fund Book
Three prominent and highly visible writers confront the threats posed by current challenges to the American Constitution.
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.
Alan Brinkley is professor of history at Columbia University and author of numerous books, including The End of Reform. Nelson W. Polsby is director of the Institute of Government Studies and professor of political science at the University of California at Berkeley. He is the author of numerous books, including Congress and the Presidency and Presidential Elections. Kathleen M. Sullivan is professor of law at Stanford Law School and the author of articles on a wide range of constitutional issues, including affirmative action, abortion, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech.
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