| This thesis examines exceptionalist aspects of the political theory of Publius, collective pen name of the authors of The Federalist. Exceptionalism is defined in this study primarily as the sense of aspiring to be an example for the rest of the world. The earliest religious settlements in America hoped they would be like a "city set on a hill" for all to see, and this aspiration spilled over into American political discourse during the Revolutionary War era and remains part of American political discourse still today.;While there are large bodies of literature for exceptionalism, millennialism, and The Federalist, students of exceptionalism and millennialism seldom discuss the presence of those themes in the writings of Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. Additionally, students of The Federalist seldom elaborate on the exceptionalist or millennialist aspects of Publius' thought. This study forms the first step towards bridging that gap between the literatures. |
