Credit The Federalist Papers for America 250

As important as it will be to celebrate America 250^th anniversary in 2026, it will be equally important to celebrate ‘Why America?’ Before I immigrated to America I asked that question. When I became an immigrant I found the answer in the much underappreciated user manual of the United States Constitution, The Federalist Papers. Eloquently explained in modern English by Glenn Beck’s book, The Original Argument – The Federalists’ Case for the Constitution, adapted for the 21^st Century. The Federalist Papers can help to put the  ‘ Why’ back into America especially now when it probably needs to be done more than any time since the founding of America 250 years ago. We are quickly becoming an ungrateful nation of people who don't appreciate how the founding documents allow us to have the nice things we take for granted.

Increasing hostility towards the American Idea and our founding principles is putting the relevance of ‘Why’ America into question. Simultaneously, favorability towards ideologies that are the antithesis to those principles which millions fled to come to America, are growing especially among young people. A growing number of self-ascribed socialists are being elected to office. According to The Economist/YouGov Poll, 45% of people aged 18-29 and 62% of Democrats have a ‘favorable’ opinion of socialism. Identity politics, a racial grievance culture and ethnic divisions fomented by the political Left further fuels animosity and mischaracterized blame towards American founding principles. Without a coherent counter argument for ‘why’ we still hold the eternal truths of the American Idea, the echoes that these principles are no longer relevant could bludgeon them out of existence over the course of America’s future.

A childhood curiosity when growing up in Jamaica was why millions of people yearned to go to America, and why so many even when they arrived with little or nothing prospered. The simple answer I gave myself and which most native born Americans or immigrants would say is, ‘opportunity’, but why and where did these opportunities come from? Most people who have benefited from America, never seriously asked those questions or, why us? No other country has prospered like America or bestowed prosperity to so many. The exceptionalism of America and why it has survived as a Republic and oldest Democracy for 250 yrs is no accident, but by brilliant design. The infancy of the nation after its birth on signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 was tenuously delicate and susceptible to ripping apart.  The original constitution, The Articles of Confederation exhibited flaws in its structure by creating a weak central government, which did not give the federal government the power to levy taxes, regulate trade, raise an army, a national currency, or even enforce laws. There was the risk that the old monarchy would be replaced with another or anarchy. A Constitutional Convention was called to address these weaknesses and a new constitution was drafted in September 1787, which was hotly debated. However, all eyes turned to New York and Virginia, considered the swing states of their time. If either rejected the document, the United States would have little chance of succeeding as a nation.

 Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay pseudonymously under the name “Publius” embarked on writing a series of political essays called the ‘The Federalist Papers.’ They made original public arguments for the Constitution and thus ‘Why’ America to convince fellow citizens and delegates to support its ratification. These include original and indelible arguments over questions that are as relevant and debated today just as they were at the birth of our nation. Such as: How should the power be divided between the states and the federal government and why? Why are we a Republic and not a Democracy? Why we have an electoral college and how it enabled having and keeping a ‘United States’. Why is the seat of the Federal Government (Washington D.C) not a state, but allows areas within it to retrocede to the states from which it was originally formed if they seek state-like representation? Why do we have three branches of government and the functions or roles they each have? Why could the issue of slavery not be resolved in the Constitution but very importantly the elements designed in it to ultimately weaken and end it? What is the remedy if the government becomes too tyrannical? Crucially, the most central question of the entire American Experiment. Is man capable of ruling himself? If not for these men mounting a strong reasoned passionate defense for the Constitution with the Federalist Papers, the American Experiment might never have gotten out of the laboratory.

Fundamentally, the wisdom of the design of the constitution for governing to address these principles while enabling individual liberty was the profound insight by the Founders about the human nature of politics. The innate nature to be free, but also having the tendencies of unsatisfiable desires for power. No matter the century, people are people and politicians are politicians. Perhaps more than any system designed before or after, a recurring theme in the Federalist Papers about the reasoning to the design of the Constitution was that it acknowledges that men are fallible and subject to fault. This is the essence behind limited government and the checks and balances designed within our Constitution. The more a government is un-limited such as in Marxist and autocratic societies, the more limited are the potential of its people and capital. Conversely, the limited government and rights designed in the U.S Constitution and justified by the Federalist Papers so the aforementioned could exist, enabled the limitless potential and ambitions of people and the economic freedom where capital could move freely to the areas where they are most productive like no time in human history. Which in short gave the proper answer to the question I asked myself years ago of ‘Why America?’ The Federalist Papers deserves a prominent place of putting the ‘Why’ in celebrating America 250 and a significant or proper permanent recognition at a Smithsonian Museum.  To also remind everyone else, especially those who take the oath to protect and uphold the Constitution of the United States.