What Would the American Founders Do? Leadership Principles from the Federalist Papers draws principles for leaders from the 85 essays written during the debate over the U.S. Constitution, the oldest written constitution in the world. These principles include “Know When To Cut Your Losses,” “Neither Men Nor Women Are Angels,” “Don’t Avoid Compromising Situations,” and “Imagine That! Leaders Need Vision.” The book also serves, secondarily, as a rich introduction to the Federalist Papers, America’s greatest work on the principles of government and human nature.