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 U.S. 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.

Over the past two centuries, the American government has seen its share of trials and tribulations, and the 21st century has ushered in a host of new crises, from the growing surveillance state to the political polarization exacerbated by social media. Will the American system of government survive the next crisis? Are we still governed by the same system the Framers of the Constitution envisioned? What do they have to tell us about good governance today—or our political future?

Delve into these questions and more in Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers. 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 states gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation.

What emerged from the proceedings was an entirely new Constitution representing an entirely new system of government unlike anything the world had ever seen. 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.FBA /Audible

Rated 5 out of 5 by pat2025 from This course was an impressive walk among the broad issues that are at the very human nature of our country. It has been a great experiment, at times coming perilously close to Mr. Franklin's warning, "... A republic, if you can keep it." I wonder what James Madison, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton would think about it being kept for over 230 years. We have inherited this experiment, and it would be a shame to stop working on it.

Date published: 2025-07-05

Rated 4 out of 5 by ThisReviewer from Could have been better Given our current politics, this course seems mostly to remind us of how naive the founders were and how inadequate many of the safeguards for liberty they designed seem to be proving to be. They did not anticipate the effects of wealth inequality and the rise of oligarchs on voting, nor did they anticipate how the rise of social media would make it possible for a would-be autocrat to capture the presidency. They assumed a wisdom of the general populace that seems nowhere in evidence. Of course, one shouldn't expect men living over two hundred years ago to have predicted our current dilemmas. Most specifically, what do you do when one branch of government exceeds its authority? The professor raises the question, but there seems to be no effective answer. What do you do when the other branches of government effectively abdicate? Again, no real answer. I found the "Great Courses Time Machine" a bit cheesy. During the section on Hamilton's writings on the presidency, the professor's constant "Check!" comments were a bit annoying. Still, the course is worth taking, and the subject has a rather sad relevance to our times that may provoke thought.

Date published: 2025-04-10

Rated 5 out of 5 by cpr_norcal from Fascinating, Topical, Extremely Well Done As a longtime TGC subscriber and someone particularly interested in American History, I was greatly enriched by these lectures. The theories and persons responsible for our Constitution were of keen interest to me. The logic behind the structure of our government, and its evolution including Dual Sovereignty, separation of powers, and indeed all topics discussed were extremely interesting and excellent food for contemplation. Professor Hoffman has certainly become of my very favorite lecturers; I have enjoyed and benefitted from all of his TGC courses very much. He is a super clear and interesting communicator, and his material is top notch. Hopefully he will continue crafting more of his marvelous courses.

Date published: 2024-10-17

Rated 4 out of 5 by Nestor from A Useful Primer My sense of this course wanders from "on the one hand" to "on the other hand." Yes, this is a very useful primer from a presenter whose bona fides as an attorney and law professor make him a reliable transmitter of the broad (and sometimes contradictory) messages sent from Hamilton, Madison and Jay. However, I find it a bit ironic that my principal critique of the presentation is similar to the one I found with Professor Pangle's course on Federalists versus Anti-Federalists. First, both are grafted to their teleprompters. Yes, I know-they all use them. Some bring it off better than others. With Professor Hoffmann (as I also found with Professor Pangle), when they are quoting a passage, it is frustrating to know when the quote begins and when it ends, since they don't even pretend to be reading from a text; it is as if it was memorized, which, of course, it was not. This steals from both the spontaneity of the presentation, as well as from the fine scholarship that underlies it. Also, the production values more recently employed by The Great Courses have totally abandoned the classroom environment; they are a distraction. For this reason, and others, I believe this course would have conveyed its valuable content much more efficiently had it been experienced in audio only. With all of that, a subtraction of one star is appropriate. No need to watch. Just listen.

Date published: 2024-09-07

Rated 5 out of 5 by alexander1 from wonderful content, excellent presentation A very informative discussion. A deep, yet accessible presentation of what our brilliant founding fathers were thinking as they created our Constitution. Highly recommended. Fair and balanced . Delightful. One of the best courses I have viewed, among the dozens I have watched.

Date published: 2024-01-24

Rated 5 out of 5 by Sandy Titus from EXCELLENT I learned so much about what happened after the end of the war and what our Founding Fathers fought for to give us the country we enjoy today.

Date published: 2023-08-19

Rated 3 out of 5 by Bryant62 from The Federalist I just started this course. I was watching lecture 4 when Professor (?) Hoffman was talking about the framers in the convention hall. He said there's Benjamin Franklin and the small man in the corner is James Madison. The tall man is Thomas Jefferson. I think Thomas Jefferson was in France at this time. Otherwise I am enjoying course so far.

Date published: 2023-07-28

Rated 5 out of 5 by watersnake42 from Mandatory Civic Class Excellent class discussed the founding principles and logics of American Republic and Federalism. This should be civic requirement for all high schools and college students.

Date published: 2023-07-13