The Role of the American Executive

Paper Summary:

The paper is an analysis of Alexander Hamilton's arguments on the Executive and executive power from the Federalist papers. It examines also how Hamilton's ideas on the role of the Executive have changed from the time of the nation's founding to the present day.

From the Paper:

"Hamilton's primary argument in The Federalist Papers, where he defends the institution of the executive branch has to do with what he calls the "energy of the executive". He notes in Federalist 70 that energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government while at the same time noting that some my find the idea of an executive to be inconsistent with the principles of Republican government. Those that opposed the executive might have looked to Federalist 37 where Madison claims that the genius of republican liberty assigns power to many hands for short terms while energy requires that power be invested in a single hand for a presumably longer term. This "single hand" referenced by James Madison is, in all likelihood, a reference to the kind of monarchy that the founders opposed. Among Hamilton's tasks in The Federalist Papers are not only to prove that the President is not a monarch, but in doing so to create a strong executive that will help lead to a more stable Republic."

More papers on The Role of the American Executive:

• Essay # 8947 : "The President of the United States"
• Research Paper # 29889 : "The Changing Role of the American President"
• Essay # 8958 : "Office of the President of the United States"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: