 Alexander Hamilton, author of Federalist No. 28 | |
| Author | Alexander Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Same Subject Continued: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Federalist |
| Publisher |
|
Publication date | December 28, 1787 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Newspaper |
| Preceded by | Federalist No. 27 |
| Followed by | Federalist No. 29 |
| Text | Federalist No. 28 at Wikisource |
Federalist No. 28, titled "The Same Subject Continued: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered", is a political essay by Alexander Hamilton and the twenty-eighth of The Federalist Papers. The essay was published on December 28, 1787, under the pseudonym Publius, the name under which all The Federalist Papers were published. This is the last of the three essays discussing the powers of the federal government over a standing military, directly following Federalist No. 26 and Federalist No. 27. Its theme of defense would be continued for one more essay in Federalist No. 29.
Federalist No. 28 addresses circumstances in which military force may be used domestically by the federal government, with Hamilton arguing that it would be necessary only when an insurrection required federal intervention. He challenged the idea that a federal military would be repressive, arguing that it would be restrained by the nature of representative government. Failing that, he believed that state governments and the people would be in an advantageous position over a federal military when engaging in the natural right to self-defense. Federalist No. 28 gave a more sympathetic portrayal of state governments than most of the Federalist Papers, describing them as a check on the federal government. Since the writing of this essay, the nature of military force has fundamentally changed, rendering his equivocation of federal, state, and civilian military technology obsolete.