According to Federalist 57, the “aim of every political Constitution is or ought to be first to obtain for rulers, men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous, while they continue to hold their public trust.” We all know how the Constitution is supposed to keep government from threatening our safety and freedom – the separation of powers, checks and balances, an independent judiciary, and so on. But how does the Constitution ensure that our “rulers” have the wisdom to discern and the virtue to pursue the common good? In fact, what is wisdom, virtue, and the common good? We seek the answers to these questions in the Federalist papers that explain how the House and the Senate are constructed or “constituted.”

This program will be conducted as a Socratic discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.