At Law & Liberty, a series of essays (not by law professors!) on The Federalist's contemporary significance:
Harry T. Edmondson (Georgia College – Political Science): Why Do We Still Read The Federalist Papers?
Steven D. Ealy (Liberty Fund): What Publius Missed
Aaron N. Coleman (University of the Cumberlands – History): The Original Meaning of The Federalist
Matthew Schoenbachler (University of North Alabama – History): The Federalist Reconsidered
From the introduction to the lead essay:
Yet to say that the Federalist essays are remarkable does not guarantee they are relevant. After all, the country is currently enduring an episode in American politics in which the very ideas and personalities of the American Founding are attacked even if those attacks proceed from ignorance more often than not. Are the Federalist essays up to the challenge? Since a comprehensive discussion of the abiding significance of the Federalist Papers would exceed the scope of the project at hand, their defense here is limited to 1) Constitutional interpretation; 2) the independence of the judiciary; 3) considerations of human nature; 4) the difficult problem of slavery; and, 5) compromise as a means of political survival.
And from the conclusion of the last essay:
The Federalist is a hastily written polemic called forth by the political concerns of the late eighteenth century and wonderfully illustrative of its day. It is also, improbably, a timeless reflection of issues of power, liberty, and human nature.
Posted at 6:22 AM