<i>Federalist</i> No. 27: Is Transparency Essential for Public Confidence in Government?

Abstract

One of the great themes of The Federalist Papers is that good government is dependent on good administration. In Federalist No. 27, Publius underscores two important themes. First, he argues that in order to preserve citizen confidence in government, there must be competent administration, and second, he maintains the need for a strong national government to safeguard the republican principles embedded within the Constitution. Publius's contribution to democratic theory and American republicanism proves as enlightening today as it was when he first published this essay in 1787, and it continues to provide important lessons for public administration and the democratic governance process.