Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers

By: Joseph Hoffmann, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Joseph Hoffmann

It would be difficult to overstate the influence of The Federalist Papers. Despite their lack of official or legal status, these 85 brilliant essays have served as the single most important guide to the interpretation and application of the US Constitution for more than 230 years. Authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, The Federalist Papers offer a detailed blueprint for building a successful democratic republic.

Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers gives you the chance to delve into this magisterial blueprint for yourself. Taught by acclaimed professor and legal scholar Joseph L. Hoffmann of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, these 12 thought-provoking lectures take you back to the hot summer weather of Philadelphia in 1787, when the delegates from the several states gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation.

As you will learn, the Framers were rightly concerned about whether the 13 largely autonomous states would accept a strong centralized federal government and whether such a system could include safeguards to protect against the tyranny they’d just fought a war to overcome. To answer these concerns, the authors laid out a bold vision for the new nation, drafting what became essentially the Bible of American government - perhaps America’s most significant contribution to the way that human beings choose to organize their lives, and their societies, in order to fulfill their hopes and pursue their dreams together.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

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This audio book is great! I enjoyed the breakdown.

Narration is great! Highly recommend this for everyone. Too many of us think we know the constitution but never to the time to read it. The Federalist Papers will teach you so much more!

Excellent

Well done. Every American should have to attend a lecture or course similar to this. This course gives clarity & understanding to our Constitution. I will return to it many times for review.

Great overall discussion.

This is a great unbiased, a political view of how our founding fathers thought about the constitution they created. This should be taught in every high school civics, and government class in the country.

Get this course if you want to understand the Constitution

This excellent course gives you a behind-the -scenes look at the making of one of the most important documents in history: the United States Constitution. Dr. Hoffman’s presentation is excellent as well, succinct, but not simplistic, incisive, but remarkably nonbiased.

Deceptive Title But Worth The Listen

If you are looking for a paragraph by paragraph review of the Federalist papers, you will be disapointed. However the book does provide an understanding of Federalism, and why Madison, Hamilton, and Jay believed in it as a structure for our country. In putting the arguments together, the author pulls quotes from different papers. This does raise the question, "what about the bits not discussed". Such an approach will end up reflecting the author's bias, but on the whole I thought the discussion pretty well balanced. For me it was educational. I am not sure you can have any discussion on the Federalist papers without touching on politics; after all they were a collection of political "op-eds". Certainly worth listening to.

Understanding the constitution

I’m fairly weak on the constitution and how it all came about. So this class was a good foundation to lay down some understanding of how and what the founding fathers were thinking when they wrote the constitution.

Extremely relevant to understanding our government

interesting, engaging and relevant. maybe now more than ever. very good performance. keeping it interesting

Timely information on the original of US governmen

A reasonable length course on the documents that were written as advice to the constitutional convention of 1787. the course reviews the federalist papers, why they were written and by whom. how did they affect the writing of the Constitution. Also addresses is the adoption of amendments 3 thru 12 as the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
The material is helpful in better understanding the separation of power between the states and the federal government and why it is important for them to keep each other in check.

Wow and thank you so much

I’m 52 and a natural born citizen and I was never taught what I’ve learned thru your lectures. Invaluable information for all citizens to learn because if we want to save your freedom and our democracy from a man who wants to take it all down and go back to slave days then it’s time to roll up your sleeves learn this and prepare to fight back with knowledge and the rule of law without violence. And don’t give in to fear they are pushing, this provides many tools to win and save our country from tyranny that is at every Americans front door

Enlightening

Simply great listening. Should be required teaching. Absolutely relevant still and an asset to understanding and forming opinions about todays political issues