The Federalist Project: Modern Federalist #13

To the People of the United States of America,

As a nation we are divided. This division is not physical or geographical. Instead we are divided in the fundamentals that keep America strong. There is no respect for opinion, the government is incapable of making decisions together, and political parties make a clear divide between the people. While Alexander Hamilton used Federalist Paper 13 to open the eyes of the patriots to the problems with dividing the states into individual sovereignties, one being economic harm to America, it is important in our day to understand how the division of our country in regards to opinion, government, and politics has the same effect on our economy.

                Why is America united? There are two answers to this question. One, we are American! Patriotism runs in our veins. We recite the pledge, sing the national anthem, are encouraged to participate in politics, etc. Being an American is an identity; it’s a way of life. Two, it is financially easier to not act as though we are in a different country every time we go to another state. What does this mean? The founders debated whether or not America needed to be united as all 13 states or if they should be divided into independent sovereignties. They came to understand that economically and financially it is better for a nation to be united geographically and politically. Imagine going from California to Arizona and having to use a different money system or do business by different laws. It would be as though you left America and went to another country. While state sovereignty is a necessary part of a strong republic, a completely sovereign state harms the economic system of both the state and the nation. Today we must decide if we can be united politically in order to be economically and financially secure.

                An important principle the founders sought to establish in the American constitution was the idea of frugality. Frugality is an absolute necessity in the government. It is necessary because we need to avoid burdening the people. We only need to tax the people for the cost of the necessities that protect their rights. These are the rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Currently we do not have a working budget. America’s national deficit is $483 billion and the federal debt is $17.8 trillion. Instead of establishing a plan to solve these problems and put America back on a path of fiscal responsibility and security our government remains firmly divided by their parties. They refuse to compromise on any point. Many insist on continuing to burden the people with higher taxes in order to pay off the debts. The government sees the only two options as tax the people or cut spending. Politicians’ and citizens’ complete refusal to bridge the gap between parties on this crucial issue denies any possibility of coming to a reasonable solution to the problem. We need to take a leaf out of the founder’s book and compromise. There will never be a perfect solution. Together we can find the best one.

                Unity among the states is essential for many reasons. If we each act as though we are running our own independent countries we run into many problems: rivalry between states, disconnection between people, economic contention, etc. Just like a physical division between states causes difficulties since each has a different monetary system, a different trade system, a different economic way, a division of spirit, etc. causes these same problems. The states were meant to be united. The founders meant physically. Today we need to be united politically. This does not mean we agree on every point. It means we work together to better the cause of America rather than our parties. Dividing causes problems. We fight for strongest or weakest. It causes economic, military, and political divisions. We are in a war of words, a grid-lock, because we are not united. This land, this people deserve unity. We must unite as Americans regardless of race, religion, background, gender, political orientation, etc. and join in the cause of protecting our nation. 

A Patriot

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_budget

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_13.html