The Federalist Papers is a series of 85 articles arguing in favor of ratification of the United States Constitution by the thirteen original colonies. The Federalist papers were written in response to criticism of the Constitution. The articles were first published between October 1787 and August 1788 in newspapers and then published in book form in 1788.
Federalist No. 65 discusses the reasoning behind the choice of the Senate to conduct Impeachment trials. He is sanguine about the danger of political factions polarizing the proceedings. He rejects the Supreme Court as too small a body to represent the general public and posits that assigning the House, the representative elected by the body politic, the responsibility of bringing charges and prosecuting an impeachment, and assigning the Senate, a body of wise elders elected by state legislatures, the task trying the matter, is the best that can be done to bring about a necessary separation of powers to achieve a fair and just outcome.

The Federalist Papers is a series of 85 articles arguing in favor of ratification of the United States Constitution by the thirteen original colonies. When the Constitutional Convention met in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton advocated instead for the creation of a new government. The delegates used the principles contained in Madison’s Virginia Plan to create the Constitution, which was submitted to the states in September 1787. The Federalist papers were written in response to criticism of the Constitution.
Federalist No. 66 is a continuation of the argument in Federalist No. 65 for the Senate as the trial venue for impeachments. In No. 66 he addresses specific anti-Federalist objections in a series of four rebuttals. The issues addressed are: first, the concern that the Senate is encroaching on the powers of the courts; second, that the Senate itself may become too aristocratic; third, that impartiality may suffer when trying appointed officials previously approved by the same body; and, fourth, that the Senators may be unable to judge their own actions impartially in ratifying treaties.

The Federalist Papers is a series of 85 articles arguing in favor of ratification of the United States Constitution by the thirteen original colonies. Federalist No. 74 discusses the powers of the president as commander-in-chief and to grant pardons and reprieves. Hamilton asserts that the role of commander-in-chief is inherent in the office itself and requires the speed and resolve of a single decision-maker. He argues that vesting such powers among multiple executives could prove disastrous in the real world of military conflict. A similar argument is made regarding the power to pardon and issue reprieves, sensing correctly that group psychology might suppress the compassion to grant mercy or the courage to uphold justice when the case seems to demand it. Interestingly, he cites the need to act swiftly to grant pardons in certain situations in order to capitalize on a fleeting possibility to resolve a difficult situation, particularly in the event of rebellion. The power to grant pardons has been controversial at times, with concerns that pardons are granted for political purposes rather than to serve justice or mercy.

Approved by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787, the US Constitution was to become law only if ratified by nine of the thirteen states then comprising the United States. The eighty-five letters in support of the Constitution collected here have become recognized as the most important political science work ever written in the United States. Written primarily by Hamilton, assisted by Madison and Jay, these essays are considered to be the foremost commentary on the US Constitution. Today lawyers, historians, and Supreme Court Judges, along with countless others, carefully comb these letters looking for key insights ranging from their analysis of the power of congress to their arguments on behalf of judicial review. From what we can determine, ours is the only unabridged recording to date.

Originally published anonymously, The Federalist Papers first appeared in 1787 as a series of letters to New York newspapers exhorting voters to ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States. Still hotly debated and open to often controversial interpretations, the arguments first presented here by three of America’s greatest patriots and political theorists were created during a critical moment in our nation’s history, providing readers with a running ideological commentary on the crucial issues facing a democracy. Today, The Federalist Papers are as important and vital a rallying cry for freedom as ever.