Anarchy vs Tyranny: Federalist Papers No. 17, 18 and 19

On this midweek supporters-exclusive episode of The Politics Guys, Trey Orndorff (Oklahoma Christian University) and Ken Katkin (NKU Chase College of Law) continue their ongoing deep-dive series through The Federalist Papers, taking on Federalist Nos. 17, 18, and 19. 
In this cluster of essays, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison tackle a central Anti-Federalist anxiety pushed by writers like Brutus (Robert Yates), Cato, and Patrick Henry: the fear that the proposed Constitution would create an all-powerful, consolidated national government that absorbs state sovereignty and individual liberty. Publius flips this argument on its head, contending that the real threat to the American republic isn’t central tyranny, but internal anarchy, state fragmentation, and weak federal enforcement. Topics discussed include:

• Hamilton’s dismissing that a national government will seek to usurp state powers because ambitious national leaders will care about glorious issues such as commerce, finance, negotiations, and war.
• The draw of state and local governments for the average person Trey and Ken highlight that even today, over 98% of all court cases in the U.S. remain in state courts. 
• Hamilton’s arguments that the true threat is state governments obstructing or interfering with federal law enforcement, anticipating modern disputes like sanctuary cities.
• The collaborative authorship and unique drafting history of Federalist 18, where Madison incorporated notes and research compiled by Hamilton into his own previous research studies for the constitutional convention.
• How in an era before modern social science, the Framers looked to ancient history as their primary empirical evidence, and what they left out to persuade readers.
• The influence of Abbé Mabley on the writing of Madison.
• The history and background of The Holy Roman Empire and its distinction with the Roman Empire.

To dive deeper, read more on Trey’s Substack.

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