Alexander Hamilton Quotes


. . . [The Judicial Branch] may truly be said to have neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend upon the aid of the executive arm even for the efficacy of its judgments.


Citations

Hamilton, Alexander. "Federalist No. 78." The Federalist Papers, edited by Clinton Rossiter, Signet Classics, 2003, p. 464.

Related Quotes

Some of the Founding Fathers did not conceive of the kind of judiciary where Federal courts could nullify an act of the Congress by declaring a law unconstitutional. Morris was one. Others did. The Constitution is not very explicit on this point, but the nation has settled with a process that would have surprised Morris and a few others.


Judicial Review is the principle which allows a court—judges—to declare an act of the legislature or the executive improper and unlawful. It is a standard principle of American government yet it was not explicitly stated in the Constitution. Hence to some, there is a question about the legitimacy of Judicial Review itself. Many nations do not have it. Many people think it is the most important aspect of a democratic society as it provides a check on both the executive and the legislature.


Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
  • Born: January 11, 1755
  • Died: July 12, 1804
  • Nationality: American
  • Profession: Politician

Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, lawyer, banker, and economist. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper. As the first secretary of the treasury, Hamilton was the main author of the economic policies of George Washington's administration. He took the lead in the federal government's funding of the states' debts, as well as establishing the nation's first two de facto central banks, the Bank of North America and the First Bank of the United States, a system of tariffs, and friendly trade relations with Britain. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, government-controlled banks, support for manufacturing, and a strong military.