Abstract
Donald Trump’s central campaign slogan—“Make America Great Again”—asks us to reflect on the meaning of national greatness. To revive and refine our understanding of national greatness in the American context, we turn to its clearest articulation, found in The Federalist. Its authors understood themselves to be founding a great nation, whose greatness would depend especially on commercial power as the means to establishing and preserving national sovereignty and self-rule. Striving for national greatness, however, is less a choice than a necessity, given the consequences of national weakness and disunity. Many of Trump’s campaign promises track closely with the logic of and reasons for attaining national greatness as laid out in The Federalist. This chapter seeks to elaborate Trump’s slogan in light The Federalist’s reflections.
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Notes
- 1.
While most of my citations of Publius refer to essays written by Hamilton , this chapter does not contain an exhaustive review of Hamilton’s work on the subject of national greatness. Rather, my focus deals with The Federalist alone. Accordingly, I refer to “Publius” instead of to “Hamilton.”
- 2.
Without reviewing the entire 40-year history of such assertions in the public square, consider the recent and prominent examples of Joe Biden, “Remarks by the Vice President to the Irish People” (speech, Dublin Castle, Dublin, June 24, 2016), https://ie.usembassy.gov/vice-president-biden-speech-dublin-castle/. Additionally, consider Hillary Clinton’s now famous comment on the campaign trail that half of the Americans supporting Donald Trump are a “basket of deplorables” defined specifically as being “racist , sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic” people.
- 3.
Many examples may substantiate this. Consider, for instance, the attempt to impose the disparate-impact standard on public schools’ disciplinary policies, the usage of which presumed that institutionalized racism accounts for disparities of outcomes.
- 4.
To list just one academic in the expansive and ever-growing chorus supporting such views, see Charles Wright Mills, The Racial Contract (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997), pp. 9–19; 41–81; 91–109.
- 5.
For remarks on the need for fundamental transformation of the nation, see Barack Obama’s “Campaign Rallies Columbia, Missouri” (speech, Columbia, Missouri, October 30, 2008), https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/obama_rallies_columbia_missour.html. See also, Barack Obama, “Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address” (speech, District of Columbia, January 20, 2009), http://content.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1872715,00.html.
- 6.
Donald Trump, “An America First Economic Plan: Winning The Global Competition” (speech, campaign event, Detroit, Michigan, August 8, 2016), http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/campaign/290777-transcript-of-donald-trumps-economic-policy-speech-to-detroit.
- 7.
Donald Trump, “Republican Nomination Acceptance Speech” (speech, Republican National Convention, Cleveland, Ohio, July 21, 2016), http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/full-transcript-donald-trump-nomination-acceptance-speech-at-rnc-225974.
- 8.
On the numerous voices during the founding opposed to national greatness, see Karl-Friedrich Walling, Republican Empire: Alexander Hamilton on War and Free Government (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1999), pp. 101–103.
- 9.
All references to The Federalist in this essay are to: The Federalist, eds. George W. Carey and James McClellan, (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2001). I will provide essay number and page number. Citation in text refers to Federalist 1, p. 1, where Publius suggests that we will be an example to the world.
- 10.
Federalist 11, p. 54.
- 11.
For a clear articulation of the logic of China’s imperial and mercantilist policies, see Peter Navarro and Greg Autry, Death by China, Confronting the Dragon—A Global Call to Action (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2011).
- 12.
Federalist 9, p. 38.
- 13.
See Thomas Pangle’s succinct and pointed analysis of Publius’ assessment of the problems of classical republics. Thomas L. Pangle, The Spirit of Modern Republicanism: the Moral Vision of the American Founders and the Philosophy of Locke (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990), pp. 46–47.
- 14.
Federalist 34, p. 163 (my emphasis).
- 15.
Federalist 9, pp. 37 and 39.
- 16.
Consider also Federalist 6, where Hamilton discusses the motives of Pericles and the effects of relying too much on great individuals. Federalist 6, p. 22.
- 17.
Federalist 11, p. 55.
- 18.
While the “noblest minds” may be attracted to the presidency, the president’s powers are circumscribed and divided among other branches of government. The president’s interests must be made to coincide with his duties (Federalist 72), although some measure of “independence [is] intended for him by the constitution” (Federalist 73, p. 381). Virtue is not entrusted with free reign; presidents will not rule like Homeric kings.
- 19.
Federalist 12, p. 55 (my emphasis).
- 20.
Trump campaign speech, Bismarck, North Dakota, May 26, 2016.
- 21.
Federalist 11, p. 52.
- 22.
Publius mentions that national poverty, on account of an underdeveloped commerce, is “an extremity to which no government will of choice accede.” Federalist 12, p. 59.
- 23.
“The industrious habits of the people of the present day, absorbed in the pursuits of gain, and devoted to the improvements of agriculture and commerce, are incompatible with the condition of a nation of soldiers.” Federalist 8, p. 34.
- 24.
Federalist 11, p. 52.
- 25.
Federalist 12, p. 55 (quotation). In addition, see Federalist 10’s statement on the purpose of protecting unequal acquisitive faculties. One may additionally consider the patent clause in the U.S. Constitution as seeking to encourage, among other things, the blossoming of the unequal faculties of the mind.
- 26.
Niccolo Machiavelli , The Prince, trans. Harvey Mansfield, 2nd ed. (University of Chicago Press, 1998), p. 67.
- 27.
Federalist 12, p. 55. Cf. John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, ed. Peter Laslett (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 5.50.
- 28.
Federalist 11, p. 53.
- 29.
Federalist 12, p. 57.
- 30.
Federalist 12, p. 56.
- 31.
Germany has insufficient paper money in circulation, the proximate cause of its dependence and weakness. Paper money, however, as Publius states in the previous essay, is connected to the liberation of avarice and the national spirit that it can generate.
- 32.
Donald Trump, “Declaring America’s Economic Independence” (speech, campaign event, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 28, 2016), http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/full-transcript-trump-job-plan-speech-224891.
- 33.
Federalist 11, p. 49.
- 34.
Federalist 11, p. 55.
- 35.
David Epstein, The Political Theory of The Federalist (University of Chicago Press, 1984), p. 27.
- 36.
Federalist 11, p. 51.
- 37.
Federalist 11, p. 52.
- 38.
For the best historical and theoretical analysis on the “scientific ” theories based on natural history, then current in Europe, which claim to prove the natural weakness of all things American (the “degeneracy thesis”) see James Ceaser, Reconstructing America (Yale University Press, 1997), pp. 19–42. For The Federalist’s understanding of political science as opposed to natural history see pp. 53–65.
- 39.
Federalist 11, p. 54.
- 40.
Federalist 11, p. 54.
- 41.
Federalist 11, p. 52.
- 42.
Trump campaign speech, Monneson, Pennsylvania, Time, June, 6, 2016, http://time.com/4386335/donald-trump-trade-speech-transcript/.
- 43.
Christopher Caldwell, “The Globalization Swindle,” Claremont Review of Books XVII, no. 2 (2017), pp. 20–23.
- 44.
Federalist 11, p. 52.
- 45.
Federalist 11, p. 52.
- 46.
Federalist 11, p. 51.
- 47.
Pangle, The Spirit of Modern Republicanism, p. 45.
- 48.
See Federalist 1, p. 1, and Federalist 14, p. 67.
References
Caldwell, Christopher. “The Globalization Swindel.” Claremont Review of Books XVII, no. 2 (2017).
Ceaser, James. Reconstructing America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997.
Epstein, David F. The Political Theory of the Federalist. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984.
Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Edited by Peter Laslett. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Translated by Harvey Mansfield, 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
Mills, Charles Wright. The Racial Contract. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997.
Navarro, Peter, and Greg Autry. Death by China, Confronting the Dragon—A Global Call to Action. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2011.
Pangle, Thomas L. The Spirit of Modern Republicanism: The Moral Vision of the American Founders and the Philosophy of Locke. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
Publius. The Federalist. Edited by George W. Carey and James McClellan. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2001.
Walling, Karl Friedrich. Republican Empire: Alexander Hamilton on War and Free Government. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1999.
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Milikh, A. (2018). Trump and The Federalist on National Greatness in a Commercial Republic. In: Jaramillo Torres, A., Sable, M. (eds) Trump and Political Philosophy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74445-2_11
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