Welcome to
"Primary Source Essentials."
In this episode, we will
briefly discuss Federalist 70.
The central question
for Federalist 70 is:
What are the
essential characteristics
of the executive branch?
[gentle bright music]
(Describer) Title: "Primary Source Essentials." Logo: BRI, Bill of Rights Institute. A white man sits on a couch.
The colonial experience
under the British monarch
made the revolutionaries
afraid of executive authority.
The state constitutions
and Articles of
Confederation, therefore,
had mostly weak executives
to prevent tyranny,
but they were too weak
to govern effectively,
and the separation of
powers was out of balance.
So the Constitution was created
to strengthen the
national government
and the executive branch,
but still within a limited
and balanced government.
Federalist Number 70
is one of the essays
that explain the powers
and structure
of the executive branch.
In the essay,
Alexander Hamilton explains
that a weak executive
results in a weak
and ineffective government.
According to Hamilton,
the executive branch
needs energy, vigor,
and dispatch to pursue the
goals of good government,
national defense, enforcing
the law, protecting property,
and preserving
liberty and justice.
The most important components
of achieving energy in
the executive were unity
in a single executive,
a longer duration in
office to gain experience,
and having adequate powers
to achieve its goals.
On the other hand, Hamilton
warns that a plural executive,
with two or more members,
would result in division,
a lack of responsibility,
and mutual blame,
and actually impede
the government
when it needs decisive action.
So, the answer is that
Federalist 70 argues
that the essential
characteristics
of the executive branch
are energy
and dispatch in a single
executive with robust powers.
Thanks for watching, and
check out our other videos
in "Primary Source Essentials."
Accessibility provided by the
U.S. Department of Education.
(Describer) Sitting in front of a large bookcase, the white man smiles.
