 Alexander Hamilton, author of Federalist No. 23 | |
| Author | Alexander Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Federalist |
| Publisher | New York Packet |
Publication date | December 18, 1787 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Newspaper |
| Preceded by | Federalist No. 22 |
| Followed by | Federalist No. 24 |
| Text | Federalist No. 23 at Wikisource |
Federalist No. 23, titled "The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union", is a political essay written by Alexander Hamilton and the twenty-third of The Federalist Papers. It was first published in New York newspapers on December 18, 1787, under the pseudonym Publius, the name under which all The Federalist Papers were published. This entry shifted the focus of the series, beginning an extended analysis of the proposed constitution and its provisions regarding commerce and national defense.
Federalist No. 23 argued against all forms of restriction on the federal government's ability to raise armies. It proposed that any federal government without the power to raise armies would not be able to fulfill its purpose, that the unforeseeable nature of threats require latitude for the government to respond, and that a centralized means of defense is more effective than entrusting individual states with national defense. Since the publication of Federalist No. 23 and the ratification of the constitution, the federal government of the United States has expanded significantly in scope, and the debate over governmental power in regard to national defense has persisted throughout American history.