The Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers, published simply as The Federalist at the time, is a collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay under the shared pseudonym Publius between October 1787 and August 1788, urging the ratification of the newly drafted United States Constitution. Written mainly for a New York audience where ratification was contested, the essays explain and defend the Constitution's structure of government, including the separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches, the system of checks and balances, and the case for a stronger federal union than the Articles of Confederation had provided. Although composed as political persuasion rather than neutral commentary, the essays have since become one of the most important sources for understanding the original intentions behind the Constitution and are still cited by courts, including the United States Supreme Court, in interpreting its provisions.