The passage's main argument is that (A) the United States should not split up because neighboring countries are inherently competitive.
What are The Federalist Papers?
Under the collective pen name "Publius," Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote 85 essays and articles that make up The Federalist Papers, which were intended to encourage passage of the United States Constitution.
Before The Federalist Papers became the official name of the collection in the 20th century, it was known as The Federalist.
In order to convince New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution, which had been prepared in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787, The Federalist Papers were written and published.
The decentralized nature of the Articles of Confederation, according to Hamilton, Jay, and Madison's argument in the Federalist Papers hindered the young country from becoming powerful enough to contend on the international stage or put an end to internal uprisings like Shays' Rebellion.
Therefore, the passage's main argument is that (A) the United States should not split up because neighboring countries are inherently competitive.
Know more about The Federalist Papers here:
https://brainly.com/question/24714949
#SPJ4
Complete question:
This passage is excerpted from Federalist Paper No. 5, published in 1787. In it, statesman John Jay discusses the potential effects of dividing the U.S. into several different nations.
The history of Great Britain is the one with which we are in general the best acquainted, and it gives us many useful lessons. We may profit by their experience without paying the price which it cost them. Although it seems obvious to 5 common sense that the people of such an island should be but one nation, yet we find that they were for ages divided into three, and that those three were almost constantly embroiled in quarrels and wars with one another. Notwithstanding their true interest with respect to the continental nations was really 10 the same, yet by the arts and policy and practices of those nations, their mutual jealousies were perpetually kept inflamed, and for a long series of years they were far more inconvenient and troublesome than they were useful and assisting to each other. Should the people of America divide themselves into three or four nations, would not the same thing happen? Would not similar jealousies arise, and be in like manner cherished? Instead of their being "joined in affection" and "free from all apprehension of different interests," envy and jealousy would 20 soon extinguish confidence and affection, and the partial interests of each confederacy, instead of the general interests of all America, would be the only objects of their policy and pursuits. Hence, like most other bordering nations, they would always be either involved in disputes and war, or live 25 in the constant apprehension of them. The most sanguine advocates for three or four confederacies cannot reasonably suppose that they would long remain exactly on an equal footing in point of strength, even if it was possible to form them so at first; but, admitting 30 that to be practicable, yet what human contrivance can secure the continuance of such equality? Independent of those local circ*mstances which tend to beget and increase power in one part and to impede its progress in another, we must advert to the effects of that superior policy and good management
which would probably distinguish the government of one above the rest, and by which their relative equality strength and consideration would be destroyed. For it cannot be presumed that the same degree of sound policy, prudence, and foresight would uniformly be observed by each of theseconfederacies for a long succession of years. Whenever, and from whatever causes, it might happen, and happen it would, that any one of these nations or confederacies should rise on the scale of political importance much above the degree of her neighbors, that moment would 45 those neighbors behold her with envy and with fear.
The author’s central claim in the passage is that:______.
(A) since bordering nations are naturally competitive, the U.S. should avoid division.
(B) since Britain is experienced in the art of war, the U.S. should imitate their policies.
(C) since the North is stronger than the South, multiple confederacies are inevitable.
(D) since unity is critical to the future of the U.S., a new form of government is needed.
