The American Founding with Jay Cost

Episode 13: The Mad Genius of Alexander Hamilton

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost will take a close look at the political theory of Alexander Hamilton. The author of most of the Federalist essays, Hamilton nevertheless did not participate at the Constitutional Convention nearly as much as James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, or others. Still, he offered a boldly elitist theory of constitutional government. While it was wildly out of step with the rest of the Convention, Hamilton would go on to pursue his vision of republicanism during the Washington Administration, which makes his ideas important to consider carefully.

Episode 12: Federalism

On this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost discusses how the Constitution lays out the concept of federalism, or power sharing between the state and national governments. The states were granted an important but ambiguous role in the early Constitution, and it would be up to later generations to determine exactly where the line between state and federal authority belonged.

Episode 11: Checks and Balances

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost explores the system of checks and balances that runs through the Constitution. It was not enough that the branches of government be separate from one another. Each must have the ability to defend itself from encroachments on its power. To develop this idea the Framers borrowed heavily from the ancient Roman Republic, which carefully balanced power between different factions to sustain itself for centuries. 
 

From the Vault: "Why the Constitution Matters"

By popular request ... the first episode of the original Constitutionally Speaking! In this inaugural episode, Jay and his co-host Luke Thompson discuss "Why the Constitution Matters."
 
Look for more of these old episodes in coming weeks and months!

Episode 10: What's Up with the Electoral College?!

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost breaks down the Electoral College. A subject of a great deal of contemporary criticism, the Electoral College is perhaps the most misunderstood part of the Constitution. The Framers created it as an institution to place the president above the political fray, but it never really worked and was abandoned after the Election of 1800. Still, understanding the Electoral College provides a sense of how the Framers expected the president to function in the political system. 

Episode 9: The Compromise over Slavery

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost examines the compromise of slavery forged at the Constitutional Convention. While most delegates understood on an intellectual level that slavery was incompatible with a free republic, all were willing to compromise on the issue. Thus, the Constitution reflected an oligarchy, where political power was related to ownership of human beings. At the same time, the subtext of the Constitution quietly suggested the immorality of slavery, paving the way for its ultimate destruction. 

Episode 8: The Essential Senate

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost discusses the "Great Compromise" at the Constitutional Convention that led to the United States Senate. The delegates at the Convention decided on a House apportioned by population while each state would have an equal share in the Senate. This compromise was necessary in 1787 and remains essential today, Dr. Cost argues, because a republic as large as the United States must account for geography. 

Episode 7: The Lay of the Land at the Constitutional Convention

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost gives an overview of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, starting with a look at the Virginia Plan. Drafted mainly by James Madison, this plan envisioned a bold national government — but would the other delegates agree? Dr. Cost goes on to discuss some of the big personalities at the Convention, including James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, and Alexander Hamilton. He then looks at the major factions that would have to somehow agree on a new system of government. 

Episode 6: The Man with the Plan

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost introduces the "Man with the Plan" — James Madison. This unassuming son of a Virginia planter would emerge in 1787 as the most brilliant political philosopher the Founding generation would have. His plan? Go big. The way to save the United States was to build a truly national republic. 

Episode 5: The Crisis of the 1780s

On this episode of the American Founding, Jay examines how the Articles of Confederation failed to hold the country together in the 1780s. By the middle of the decade, it was clear to many nationalists that the Articles were a bad system of government. And when Daniel Shays and his Regulators began seizing Massachusetts courthouses in 1786, it was finally time to act.