The Federalist Papers: In Modern Language : Indexed for Today's Political Issues

Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Boring, But Important Historical Document
Review: Even with the modern language update, which I entirely support, reading the Federalist Papers is pretty dull affair that you almost have to force yourself to do. It is like reading an instruction booklet that never seems to end. The constitution is a legal document and the arguments are presented in the language of legalese. And we all know how much we are interested in the law and legal arguments--unless some has the peculiar mind of a lawyer, we don't have much interest in the law unless we're in court and are accused of a crime.

Much of the book deals with the nuts-and-bolts practicalities of designing a new working government. Some of the issues covered don't have much bearing on our constitutional issues today. But the book does give the reader some insight into how complicated it is to set up a new government. Issues such as whether to have more than one person in the executive are of some interest. Or how important it is to have separation of the executive, legislative, and judicial powers in a government to avoid tyranny. Some of the arguments deal with the paranoia going about at the time that some people thought that making a new constitution would take all their rights away.

One of the main arguments is that it is important that the country be unified under a strong central government in order to avoid wars and economic competition between the states and it is interesting to note that the civil war was mainly fought over preventing the south from becoming an economic competitor to the north, in my opinion.

The book gets more interesting near the end as the three separate powers are covered and their various functions and limits are discussed. The difference between what a president's powers are as opposed to a king's was memorable chapter. The Judiciary is noted as the weakest branch, but I would say that in modern times, it's too strong and corrupt, given that the judges make rulings that have no relation to the constitution and tend to block the legitimate will of the people. The centralized state has also become too strong when compared to the rights of the states and the people, something that the authors of the Federalist Papers did not foresee.

I have no problem with the editing of the book; much was done to make the book easier to read. I think there are probably more modern commentaries on the constitution that deal with today's issues that would be of more interest to the modern reader. --Hey, can someone put some these old classics and philosophers in updated language too?

Rating:
Summary: Great FP Primer
Review: I think this book would make a great high school text for students in American Government classes. I'm sure at college levels the FPs aren't too hard to read in their old English, but the index is great. And the book is a testament to how wise the founding fathers who made the case for our current constitution really were. Many of the things they warned us against are indeed coming true in our democracy today.

Perhaps if more people actually read the documents our founders wrote, there would be fewer people who believed in Bush's "activist" judges charge and more who realized that judges are supposed to uphold constitutions - uphold them even when the equality they provide to a minority is doing so against the will of a popular majority.

Rating:
Summary: An Aid To Understanding Our Political Heritage
Review: Mary E. Webster has performed an invaluable public service with this book. The Federalist Papers are among the most significant documents of this nation's founding era, yet they go largely unread, primarily because of their legalistic tone and complex sentence structure. As Webster states in her introduction, she has no political or social axe to grind and no agenda to fulfill. She simply wished to make these important documents available to a wider audience, and has succeeded admirably in that goal.

Webster's background allowed her to bring a one-of-a-kind approach to this project. She's not a political scholar; she is a published novelist, and a certified interpreter for the deaf. She says this was her best preparation for conveying what Hamilton, Madison and Jay actually meant. Also, she cautions this work is not meant as a substitute for reading the papers themselves; rather she hopes it will inspire readers (as it did this one) to go to the originals with greater interest and confidence.

In addition to the "translation" of the papers, Webster has also provided a comprehensive index to their contents. There's been much debate in recent years about the "original intent" of the men who drafted the constitution. The best places to fine their true intentions are in the records of the constitutional convention itself and in the Federalist Papers. It's all here, from taxation and property rights, to gun rights and the impeachment process. This is a book for the scholar, the student and any citizen who cares about our most fundamental rights.--William C. Hall

Rating:
Summary: A shame that it's necessary
Review: Mary Webster's new book "The Federalist Papers--In Modern Language Indexed for Today's Political Issues" is a "must-have" reference work. If you are a serious student, a teacher, a professional or just interested in Constitutional issues, Miss Webster's book should be there next to your dictionary. Any of us who have delved into the original Federalist Papers know what a confusing morass of run-on, page long sentences you sometimes find. Miss Webster's book can save you hours of trying to parse those difficult sentences written in antique English. But don't expect some of those troubling ambiguities--like, "What does this 'it' refer to?"--to be cleared up. Miss Webster's stated objective was to TRANSLATE rather than to interpret. However, the cleaned up text will make it easier for you to make your own interpretation. Near the front of the book you will find a complete copy of The US Constitution. That's very handy for those of us who go off looking for our lost copy whenever our ire is aroused by some questionable interpretation. Almost as handy is the "map" provided next to the Constitution showing which parts are associated with which paragraphs in the Federalist Papers. Worth the price alone is the extensive index associating political issues with the appropriate paragraphs in the Federalist Papers. You no longer have to be an "expert" who has memorized the "Papers" to quickly turn to the proper paragraphs. Miss Webster's book might not be something we'd sit down and read from cover to cover. How many of us do that with an encyclopedia or dictionary? But when the need arises, they are extremely handy to have on the bookshelf.