Saturday, June 8, 2013

Federalist 70 and presidential secrecy

The NSA surveillance (issue? - can this be called a scandal?) along with the aggressive investigations of leakers, whistleblowers and the journalists who feed off them raises questions about secrecy, and what should and should not be revealed, not so much by the government - but specifically by the president.

Which takes us to the reasons why the executive branch is designed as it is - with one person at its top. A handful of Federalist Papers describe the reasons why it has this unitary design, the most important is generally held to be #70. In it Hamilton argues that part of the justification is that one person can keep a secret better than a multitude:
That unity is conducive to energy will not be disputed. Decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any greater number; and in proportion as the number is increased, these qualities will be diminished.
Worth perusing soon enough.