Project Ledger

This Ledger records the progress of The Loyalist Papers, a writing project answering each of the 85 Federalist Papers. The project spans the 198 weeks that bookend every presidential term: Inauguration Day and Election Day. It launched on January 20, 2025, and is scheduled to conclude on November 7, 2028.

The 190,000 words of the Federalist Papers were published at a feverish pace over 42 weeks in 1787 and 1788. The Loyalist Papers, by contrast, aims for a calmer and more deliberate biweekly rhythm. Constitutional transformation, after all, occurs not only through upheaval, but also through the more formal parliamentary procedures of debates, motions, votes, tallies, and the steady accumulation of decisions. The Loyalist Papers, too, unfolds in the same way – one argument at a time, carefully tallied and publicly accounted.

Image: Roll call tally from the U.S. House of Representatives, January 31, 1865, recording the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Public domain.

Progress

Cross-Reference Index

The Federalist		The Loyalist
No.	Title	No.	Title	Date Published
1	General Introduction	1	An Unfinished Revolution	January 20, 2025
2	Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence	2	Our Fractured Federation	January 31, 2025
3	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence	5	A Most Dispensable Nation	March 10, 2025
4	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence	4	The Crown Is Our Cause	February 24, 2025
5	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence	18	Canada’s Forgotten Founding Father	October 3, 2025
6	Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States
7	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States
8	The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States	12	Sic Semper Tyrannis	July 11, 2025
9	The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection
10	The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection	7	Disloyal Opposition	April 13, 2025
11	The Utility of the Union in Respect to Commercial Relations and a Navy	3	War by Other Means	February 10, 2025
12	The Utility of the Union in Respect to Revenue
13	Advantage of the Union in Respect to Economy in Government
14	Objections to the Proposed Constitution from Extent of Territory Answered
15	The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union
16	The Same Subject Continued: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union
17	The Same Subject Continued: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union
18	The Same Subject Continued: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union
19	The Same Subject Continued: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union
20	The Same Subject Continued: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union
21	Other Defects of the Present Confederation	19	Aequitas Spectat Intentionem	October 21, 2025
22	The Same Subject Continued: Other Defects of the Present Confederation
23	The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union
24	The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered
25	The Same Subject Continued: The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered
26	The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered	15	Standing Guard	August 22, 2025
27	The Same Subject Continued: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered
28	The Same Subject Continued: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered	14	To Every Man a Crown	August 8, 2025
29	Concerning the Militia
30	Concerning the General Power of Taxation
31	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Taxation
32	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Taxation
33	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Taxation
34	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Taxation
35	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Taxation
36	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Taxation
37	Concerning the Difficulties of the Convention in Devising a Proper Form of Government
38	Incoherence of the Objections to the New Plan Exposed
39	Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles
40	The Powers of the Convention to Form a Mixed Government Examined and Sustained
41	General View of the Powers Conferred by the Constitution
42	The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered
43	The Same Subject Continued: The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered
44	Restrictions on the Authority of the Several States
45	The Alleged Danger From the Powers of the Union to the State Governments Considered
46	The Influence of the State and Federal Governments Compared
47	The Particular Structure of the New Government and Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts
48	These Departments Should Not Be So Far Separated as to Have No Constitutional Control Over Each Other
49	Method of Guarding Against the Encroachments of Any One Department of Government by Appealing to the People Through a Convention
50	Periodic Appeals to the People Considered
51	The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments	17	The Breaking Point	September 19, 2025
52	The House of Representatives	20	We the People	January 21, 2026
53	The Same Subject Continued: The House of Representatives
54	The Apportionment of Members Among States
55	The Total Number of the House of Representatives	9	Abdication	May 12, 2025
56	The Same Subject Continued: The Total Number of the House of Representatives
57	The Alleged Tendency of the Plan to Elevate the Few at the Expense of the Many Considered in Connection with Representation
58	Objection that the Number of Members Will Not Be Augmented as the Progress of Population Demands Considered
59	Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members
60	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members
61	The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members
62	The Senate	16	Sober Second Thought	September 5, 2025
63	The Senate Continued
64	The Powers of the Senate
65	The Powers of the Senate Continued
66	Objections to the Power of the Senate To Set as a Court for Impeachments Further Considered
67	The Executive Department	11	All Hail Caesar!	June 8, 2025
68	The Mode of Electing the President	8	Canada’s Electoral College	April 28, 2025
69	The Real Character of the Executive
70	The Executive Department Further Considered	6	E Pluribus Unum	March 25, 2025
71	The Duration in Office of the Executive
72	The Same Subject Continued, and Re-Eligibility of the Executive Considered
73	The Provision for Support of the Executive, and the Veto Power
74	The Command of the Military and Naval Forces, and the Pardoning Power of the Executive	10	A Malignant Prerogative	May 26, 2025
75	The Treaty Making Power of the Executive
76	The Appointing Power of the Executive
77	The Appointing Power Continued and Other Powers of the Executive Considered
78	The Judiciary Department	13	The Enfeebled Branch	July 25, 2025
79	The Judiciary Continued
80	The Powers of the Judiciary
81	The Judiciary Continued, and the Distribution of Judicial Authority
82	The Judiciary Continued
83	The Judiciary Continued in Relation to Trial by Jury
84	Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered
85	Concluding Remarks