A reader's companion
Find your way in
Guides to the papers
Short paths into eighty-five essays — by where to start, and by the questions they argue.
Ways in
If the shelf of essays looks daunting, begin here.
Where to Start with the Federalist Papers
Eighty-five essays is a lot. Here is how to read them without feeling like homework, and where to go first.
The Most Important Federalist Papers
Scholars argue over the ranking, but a few essays turn up on nearly every list. Here they are.
The papers by theme
Four questions the essays keep returning to.
The Federalist Papers on Faction
The founders' word for what we would call parties and special interests, and their surprising plan to live with it.
The Federalist Papers on Separation of Powers
Montesquieu, "parchment barriers," and ambition set against ambition.
The Federalist Papers on the Presidency
Electing a president, and why the office was built for energy without monarchy.
The Federalist Papers on the Judiciary
The "least dangerous" branch, and why it was built to stand apart.