The Original Argument: The Federalists'

Glenn Beck

Jun 2011 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Glenn Beck, the New York Times bestselling author of The Great Reset, returns with his contemporary adaptation of The Federalist Papers with the inclusion of his own commentary and annotations to help readers interpret and understand the Constitution.

Glenn Beck revisited Thomas Paine’s famous pre-Revolutionary War call to action in his #1 New York Times bestseller Glenn Beck’s Common Sense. Now he brings his historical acumen and political savvy to this fresh, new interpretation of The Federalist Papers, the 18th-century collection of political essays that defined and shaped our Constitution and laid bare the “original argument” between states’ rights and big federal government—a debate as relevant and urgent today as it was at the birth of our nation.

Adapting a selection of these essential essays—pseudonymously authored by the now well-documented triumvirate of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay—for a contemporary audience, Glenn Beck has had them reworked into “modern” English so as to be thoroughly accessible to anyone seeking a better understanding of the Founding Fathers’ intent and meaning when laying the groundwork of our government. Beck provides his own illuminating commentary and annotations and, for a number of the essays, has brought together the viewpoints of both liberal and conservative historians and scholars, making this a fair and insightful perspective on the historical works that remain the primary source for interpreting Constitutional law and the rights of American citizens.

Ratings and reviews

It took me 18 evenings (about 25 pages per day) to finish The Federalist Papers. The book was loaned to me, but now I must purchase my own copy for daily reference. The main reason for not having bought my own copy was that I had promised myself that I would never purchase ANY book written by ANY political pundit, period..!! A few things that stood out for me: [1] It entirely blows my mind that somehow this was not taught (or emphasized) in my American History classes––in either high school or college––when in fact it really should be emphasized. And my college course was top-of-the-line, supposedly one of the best in the nation. [2] (pp 115-116) The Constitution emphasizes (also p 412) that "no State can ever be deprived (without its consent) of having equal representation (i.e. two members) in the Senate; this prevents us ever changing from a republic to a democracy. I never knew that. [3] (p 195) "There should never be any laws that give special privileges to Congress or that exempt Congresspersons from anything being imposed on the People". Wow. Congress has certainly been violating that rule in recent decades. [4] (pp 239-241) "States should remain powerful and independent of the federal government and should never allow the federal government to become too powerful". This is another thing that the Founders believed would never happen but has now happened: i.e. the states depend financially so heavily on federal money that it is disgusting (and scary). [5] (p 279) Here and elsewhere Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay repeatedly speak of Divine Providence, Divine Sovereignty, andthat our human rights are endowed upon us not by some government or a human being, but by God, "by our Creator". [6] (p 296) "Each of the three Branches of Government should never overstep their limits of power granted to them by the Constitution". And look at this country now: the Executive Branch creates "czars" who serve the President but have never been elected by anyone; the Legislative Branch makes laws that gives them special privileges and hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits and entitlements, exempts them (for example) from the new healthcare laws, and performs so many other violations; the Judicial Branch overrules the majority of voters who had voted for or against some bill (e.g. making civil marriages legal), when judges have no rights to do this. [7] (pp 337-343) "The tax base ultimately is a function of the country's wealth, which in turn is a function of the amount of commerce––not government regulation". The past 3-4 decades have certainly seen this philosophy reversed. [8] (pp 344-346) "Hard work reaps its rewards, makes the worker proud, and this brings in the tax revenues––NOT the other way around". Again, this approach has gone out the window in recent decades. [9] (p 347) "One cannot raise a lot of money by direct taxation alone". [10] (p 339) "Whereas our tax rates have been all over the board these last few decades, the amount of tax revenue we take in is consistently around 18% of gross domestic product. It's not the rates that matter; it's the amount of economic activity that can be generated. Hamilton and many of the other Founding Fathers understood that, and they believed that direct taxation and higher rates punished hard work, discouraged entrepreneurism, and ultimately slowed down economic growth". Overall, this book makes an excellent read. I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to become enlightened about how our country and its Constitution was REALLY founded.

Awesome, informative, readable and understandable version of the Federalist papers

Great

About the author

Glenn Beck, the nationally syndicated radio host and founder of TheBlaze television network, has written thirteen #1 bestselling books and is one of the few authors in history to have had #1 national bestsellers in the fiction, nonfiction, self-help, and children’s picture book genres. His recent fiction works include the thrillers Agenda 21, The Overton Window, and its sequel, The Eye of Moloch; his many nonfiction titles include The Great Reset, Conform, Miracles and Massacres, Control, and Being George Washington. For more information about Glenn Beck, his books, and TheBlaze television network, visit GlennBeck.com and TheBlaze.com.