Extended Republics and Expired War Bonds: Dissecting Federalist Papers 14, 15, and 16

Political scientist Trey Orndorff and law professor Ken Katkin continue their ongoing Federalst Papers series. In this episode, Trey and Ken move past lofty philosophies of Federalist No. 10 to examine the raw mathematical, logistical, and financial realities that the Madison and Hamilton confronted as their argued for a more powerful national government. Topics covered include:

• Trey and Ken explore Madison at his most pragmatic. Facing fierce Anti-Federalist critiques that the American landmass was simply too large for a unified republic to function, Madison busts out the calculations to prove that no state representative is too far from the capital. The guys laugh at Madison’s slightly (very) skewed size comparisons to Germany and a pre-partitioned Poland to make his point.
• Madison correctly predicting that future technological improvements will seamlessly shrink distances. Ken hooks this directly into modern constitutional law, analyzing how Justice Anthony Kennedy heavily channeled the spirit of Federalist 14 in his landmark concurring opinion in United States v. Lopez (1994) to explain the evolution of our integrated national economy.
• Hamilton argues that the U.S. has reached the final stage of “national humiliation,” left with neither a unified treasury nor a standing military mechanism to enforce its own sovereignty. Trey and Ken trace Hamilton’s fury back to his real-world experiences as an aide during the Revolutionary War and his deep financial roots as a founder of the Bank of New York, watching unpaid war bonds cripple the young nation’s global creditworthiness.
• And so much more!

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