Federalist No. 70

The Executive Department Further Considered (Hamilton)

Federalist No. 70

Read it on Congress.gov

By Eian Katz

---

The quick take:

• A robust executive is not incompatible with republican government; just the opposite.

• The elements of a strong executive are: unity, duration, support, and competencies.

• The elements of democratic government are: democratic elections and democratic accountability.

• While the legislature should be contemplative, the executive should be dynamic.

• Unity is vital to this energetic quality, as illustrated by the cautionary lessons of experimentation with plural executive models (e.g. dual executive, executive council).

  • Likely to lead to discord owing to policy disputes or personal ambitions.

  • Agency in decision-making hardens opposition.

  • Deliberation is a virtue in the legislature, but a vice in the executive.

• It is often thought that power is more safely entrusted into the hands of several rather than one.

  • But collectivity undermines individual accountability and transparency.

  • And a small cabal is even more prone to abuse of power than an individual.

• Also a plural executive is just more expensive.

Food for thought:

• Unlike the federal government, most state governments do have a plural executive structure, in which multiple high-level executive officials are popularly elected (e.g. Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, etc.). Perhaps this is due to the relatively minor role of states in defense and foreign policy, where unity of action would seem most critical. Can you think of any other reasons that a unitary executive makes sense for the federal government but not for the states?

• Rule by executive council is perhaps most connoted with the politburos of Communist or Socialist states, including China, Cuba, the USSR, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia. Even so, the General Secretary of the ruling party retains (retained) significant individual authority in these systems.

• How important is individual executive accountability? Is collective accountability equally viable? In many countries, the legislature has the power to dismiss the entire executive by a vote of no confidence.

• Ruminate on this somewhat Orwellian observation on human nature: “Men often oppose a thing, merely because they have had no agency in planning it… But if they have been consulted, and have happened to disapprove, opposition then becomes, in their estimation, an indispensable duty of self-love.” What do you make of that?

Want to write a daily brief? Sign up here