Federalist No. 24

Federalist No. 24
Alexander Hamilton, author of Federalist No. 24

Author	Alexander Hamilton
Original title	The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Federalist
Publisher	The Independent Journal
Publication date	December 19, 1787
Media type	Newspaper
Preceded by	Federalist No. 23
Followed by	Federalist No. 25

Federalist No. 24, titled "The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered", is a political essay written by Alexander Hamilton and the twenty-fourth of The Federalist Papers. It was first published in New York newspapers on December 19, 1787, under the pseudonym Publius, the name under which all The Federalist Papers were published. It is one of two essays, along with Federalist No. 25, in which Hamilton argued in favor of a national standing army including during peacetime.

Federalist No. 24 challenged those who wish to prohibit a standing army in peacetime, arguing that its formation is essential for the security of the nation and that concerns about its existence were exaggerated. Hamilton explained that provisions against the creation of a standing army did not exist in either the Articles of Confederation or in all but two state constitutions. He warned of potential threats that necessitated a standing army. Federalist No. 24 was written at a time when standing armies were viewed with skepticism. Hamilton's argument ultimately prevailed as a standing army became the norm in the United States since his time.

Summary

Publius challenges the idea that the proposed constitution should prohibit standing armies in peacetime, calling it an assertion without strong justifications. Adopting the frame of viewing his opponent's views from the perspective of a stranger to the period's politics, he supposes that such a person would assume the constitution either mandated a standing army or that the executive branch of the government would control levying of soldiers. He explains that neither premise is true. There was no provision would require a standing army while the levying of soldiers is a power granted to the legislature.

Continuing to pose as a hypothetical newcomer, Publius suggests that this person would be surprised to find that the power to raise a standing army rested with the legislature, a body of elected officials from every state, and not with the executive. Further, appropriations of more than two years were prohibited. He further noted that only two state constitutions had a provision banning standing armies. Even the existing government under the Articles of Confederation did not prohibit a standing army. He describes the surprise and frustration that this person would feel to learn that apprehensions surrounding a standing army in peacetime, as Publius describes it, are unfounded, based on nothing more than "the overflowings of a zeal too intemperate to be ingenuous," calling their arguments a "sinister and unprincipled opposition to a plan."

Publius then explained why a standing army during peacetime was necessary. He notes that Britain and Spain remained major maritime powers that maintained important settlements in the New World. It was not improbable that conflict with either one could break out. The Native American tribes on the Western front also continued to pose a threat. He argued that the United States could potentially be invaded by an enemy force either on land or by sea. Publius described already existing garrisons of soldiers who were stationed to prevent such attacks, and he explained that these garrisons could be run by professional soldiers or by militias. Hamilton's preference was for trained soldiers, saying that constantly raising militias would disturb the families of militiamen and interrupt men engaged in more industrious pursuits. Publius concluded that in addition to garrisons on the western front, a navy should be established to protect the Atlantic coast.

Background and publication

Federalist No. 24 was written by Alexander Hamilton. Following the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Hamilton worked with James Madison and John Jay to write a series of essays to explain the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and persuade New York to ratify it. They published these essays in New York newspapers under the shared pseudonym Publius. It was first published in the Independent Journal, the Daily Advertiser, and the New-York Journal on December 19, 1787. It was then published in the New-York Packet on December 21.

Analysis

Federalist No. 24 challenged the refrain that the constitution was flawed because it did not prohibit a standing army during peacetime. During the eighteenth century, standing armies in peacetime were unpopular among proponents of civic republicanism. They were often seen as a challenge to liberty. The general preference of the time was for militias to serve as soldiers only when necessary. Hamilton argued that a standing army was necessary and that such a prohibition would be harmful. He rejected the idea that a militia could perform as adequately as a standing army. He also expressed concern that rotating militias would disrupt both industry and individual families. American military leaders such as George Washington agreed that a standing army was necessary for the defense of the country.

Hamilton was skeptical that long-term peace was likely. He noted that neither the Articles of Confederation nor most of the existing state constitutions had a prohibition on raising a standing army. He emphasized that the legislature not the executive would control the army's funding providing a safeguard to executive abuse. To demonstrate the need for a standing army, Hamilton pointed to the constant threats from adversaries that bordered the United States. He warned of Spanish colonies to the south, Native American tribes to the west, British colonies to the north, and the potential of naval attacks from the east. Hamilton further warned against complacence based on the distance between the United States and European powers, saying that advances in naval technology allowed distant nations to operate as if they were neighbors. For these reasons, he advocated for the establishment of garrisons along both the western frontier and eastern coast.

Legacy

Hamilton continued his argument in Federalist No. 25. A standing army in peacetime has since become a widely accepted practice in the United States and most nations, including both active duty soldiers and military reserve forces. In peacetime, the latter often double as humanitarian workers during natural disasters. In addition to domestic and coastal defense garrisons as described by Hamilton, American soldiers also make up garrisons in other countries around the world, and the separation of nations by oceans has changed in the context of modern warfare.

Federalist No. 24 has been cited in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States: Lewis F. Powell Jr. cited it in Selective Service System v. Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (1984) and Wayte v. United States (1985), and Antonin Scalia cited it in Harmelin v. Michigan (1991).

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Durchslag, Melvyn R. William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal 14 (2005): 336–337, 342.
• Edling, Max M. “‘A Vigorous National Government’: Hamilton on Security, War, and Revenue.” The Cambridge Companion to the Federalist Papers. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2020. ISBN 978-1316501849
• Epstein, David F. The Political Theory of The Federalist. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0226213002
• Kramnick, Isaac. "The 'Great National Discussion': The Discourse of Politics in 1787," The William and Mary Quarterly 45 (1988): 8–9. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
• Levinson, Sanford. An Argument Open to All: Reading “The Federalist” in the 21st Century. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2015. ISBN 978-0300199598
• Millican, Edward. One United People: The Federalist Papers and the National Idea. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2014. ISBN 978-0813160337
• Scott, Kyle. The Federalist Papers: A Reader’s Guide. London, U.K.: A&C Black, 2013. ISBN 1441185860

External links

All links retrieved April 16, 2026.

• Full text of Federalist No. 24 at Avalon Project
• The Federalist (Dawson)/24 Wikisource.
• "Federalist Essays in Historic Newspapers," U. S. Library of Congress.
• "Federalist Papers: Primary Documents in American History," U. S. Library of Congress.

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