Federalist No. 28 Explained: The People Hold the Balance

The Federalist Papers: Explained · Sep 24, 2026 · 26m

Hamilton finally says the thing his critics were sure he would never admit: yes, once in a great while, even a free government has to answer force with force, because rebellions and insurrections happen in every society that has ever existed. Then he turns that honest admission into the strongest argument for the union in the whole debate. Because the very thing the critics feared, a government strong enough to use force, is also, when it is built the American way, a government that can never turn that force into lasting tyranny. This episode follows how two governments watching each other…