Nope, he's just the first thieving bastard to write it down in his code.
I postulate that a better way has never been found because the easy way is to point a gun/spear/whatever at someone and say "gimme" than it is to figure out how to finance a venture while accomodating the 'free rider' phenomenon.
The 'free rider' thing is what is killing America today, btw.
/johnny
Government at the time of Hamilton was TINY. It remained so until the Civil War. War always grows government. Ours grew mainly because of the Civil War, WWI and WWII.
There is no “better way” because government is NOT commerce. It is a different endeavor principally concerned about the protection of rights. Those elements which can be charged on fee for service, often are. You pay for licenses, you pay to visit National Parks, you buy census information and government publications, pay sewer bills, water bills, toll roads, etc.
But such examples are an exception when it comes to government actions.
If you study the history of the ancient Middle East it should be obvious that it was a very violent place with constant warfare.
Initially government was established there by the priest hood which developed the knowledge to control the irrigation system so as to allow successful agriculture. But this success brought raids from the nomadic peoples to the North so it became necessary for the city states of the region to develop military structures. They were not paid for as you claim but through the religious authorities.
The fact that the poor can vote to tax the rich while they pay little is a huge problem but that is the excess democracy I referred to earlier.