Date of Award
5-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Departmental Honors
Department
Political Science
Abstract
The Federalist Papers are widely known as they helped explain the Constitution and gather support for its ratification. However, what they mean is not always clear. This is problematic, especially when Supreme Court Justices look to the Federalist Papers to help them make decisions. A particularly fascinating example of this problem arose in the case Printz v. United States (1997). Both the majority and dissent argued that their interpretation was supported by Federalist No. 27. That leads to the question of what Federalist No. 27 actually means. By looking at the context surrounding Alexander Hamilton (the author) and previous Supreme Court usage, this question can be answered. This research finds that Federalist No. 27 started with broad powers which were trimmed down by the Supreme Court over time.
Recommended Citation
Pedersen-Campbell, McKenzie, "Discovering the True Meaning of Federalist No. 27" (2025). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 1023.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/1023
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Faculty Mentor
Robert Ross
Departmental Honors Advisor
Greg Goelzhauser
Capstone Committee Member
Anthony Peacock