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FEDERALISTS AND ANTIFEDERALISTS.
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Conrasts the views and actions of the two political groups.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Contrasts the views and actions of the two political groups. Their ideas of what the powers of the federal government should be. Federalist believers James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. Madison's concept of a system of checks and balances. Anti-Federalist mistrust of republican form of government & a powerful central government.

Paper Introduction:
FEDERALISTS AND ANTIFEDERALISTS In the early days of this nation, two sides attempted to put their ideas into action. Federalism is, more or less, a sharing of powers- with certain powers delegated to a central government, and those not so delegated, belong to the states that make up the federation. Given that there are various types of Federalism, they should be defined. At the time the country was constitutionally organized, many people believed in Dual Federalism. “Dual Federalism originated in what may be called “the Rural Republic” immediately after the Constitution was adopted. This form “enumerated powers, sovereign and equal spheres” (Walker, 1995, p. 1). It was the beginning of a new government. At this early time, the federal government was limited. America had a basically rural e

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There is nostate religion, even though, right up to the present, there are people whomisguidedly consider the U.S. Lerner, Max: (1957) America As a Civilization (1957 New York: Simon &Schuster. 'The real object of all their zeal in opposing the system', agreed Madison, was to maintain the 'supremacy of the State Legislatures with all that meant in the printing of money and the violation of contracts' (Wood, 1969, p. On the other hand, the Federalist principles invoking a strong centralgovernment can be detected in the New Deal of Franklin D. What he introduces is the importance of a "checks and balances" systemof government. The anti-Federalists' greatest concern was that a strongcentral government would take over many of the rights of the states. Given that there are various types of Federalism, they should bedefined. Federalism is, more or less, a sharing of powers- withcertain powers delegated to a central government, and those not sodelegated, belong to the states that make up the federation. (Madison 46) It is not that all factions are bad. In retrospect, thedifferences of opinion still shape the political agenda, and continue tocause a drive for power by what is perceived to be theFederalist/Republican versus the anti-Federalist/Democrat. 78).In a very simplistic way one could say that the anti-Federalists were theless affluent (with the above exceptions of some Southerners and NewYorkers) and that the Federalists could be considered "AmericanAristocracy". Having felt the powers of a king, a central government inLondon which precipitated the Revolution in the first place, the anti-Federalists wanted more assurance that the same thing would not happen asthe United States of America was born. The cause of the anti-Federalists was strong, for a while, becausemany of them came from smaller colonies who felt that a federationcontrolled by a central government would leave them powerless in thegoverning process. Madison, James: "'Publius' The Federalist X" (1993) The Debate on theConstitution New York: Literary Classics of the united States, Inc. It prevents one faction from controlling thegovernment or, somehow, managing the majority through some sort of powerfulminority. With rhetorical homage to the states' restored sovereignty and the collaboration of Republican governors, Congress can turn back to the states' functions that have become political and financial liabilities (Derthick, 2 1, p. That is precisely what they have become, whether Republicans or Democrats control national offices. According to Madison in Paper #1 "There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one by removing its causes, the other by controlling its effects (Madison, 199 , p. "Dual Federalism originated in what maybe called "the Rural Republic" immediately after the Constitution wasadopted. 429).In other words, the republican form of government seemed risky to the anti-Federalists, because they did not trust their fellow Americans to be ableto control the government, and live at peace under a federal form ofrepublican government. Madison and the Federalists insist that "each department shouldhave a will of its own" (Madison, 199 , p. The effect of the Federalist Papers on thepublic was enormous, and it is probable that they swung the opinion toFederalism in several states. The American dilemma was to make such an arrangement of political power as ensures the existence and security of the government, even in the absence of public virtue (Wood, 1969, p. Theseparation of powers, which makes the U.S. "a Christian nation". George W. Walker Daniel B.: (1995) "Evolving Divisions of Power" from TheRebirth of Federalism: Slouching Toward Washington Chatham NJ: ChathamHouse Publishers accessed via: www.min.net/~kala/fed/history.htm. 1). In some cases, the fight continues - even though Federalist and anti-Federalist are now political parties known as Democrat and Republican. 494). Checks and balancesmakes government fairer. Inessence, their belief in the need for a Bill of Rights also wasaccomplished in the first ten Amendments to the Constitution. Of course, Madison's theory of a division of poweramong the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the newgovernment managed to ease some of the concerns of the anti-Federalists. That tide may be turning: When American federalism was being constructed, James Madison wrote that the states would be 'subordinately useful'. 289). There is also a tyranny offactions. The Federalist Papersargument was very powerful. Thesewere the foundations of the governmental system eventually adopted. 1).To some degree, then, there is something to be said for the views andactions of both Federalists and anti-Federalists. These must be chiefly, if not wholly, effects of the unsteadiness and injustice with which a factious spirit has tainted our public administration. References Derthick, Martha (2 1): "Whither Federalism?" The Urban Institute2 1, accessed via www.urban.org/periodcl/pubsect/derthick.htm. The various colonies, which had been more or less self-governing, did not want to give up many of their rights. Lindop, Edmund: (1987): Birth of the Constitution Hillside NJ: EnslowPublishers. Roosevelt, whichput new and powerful federal government concepts and departments intoaction to stem the Depression: the federal government was the one powerful"shaker and mover". Onecan see even today, the anti-Federalist leaning in some of modernRepublicanism, especially in that party's fundamental beliefs that thereshould be less government in Washington, and more government done byindividual states. FEDERALISTS AND ANTIFEDERALISTS In the early days of this nation, two sides attempted to put theirideas into action. 4 1). Theyhad little faith in the ordinary citizen's being able to govern them aspart of a central and strong government. 4 5). Wood, Gordon S.: (1969) The Creation of the American Republic:1776=1787 Chapel Hill NC: University of North Carolina Press. Anti-Federalists feared the power of a centralgovernment, that is certain. Those who favored ratification of the Constitution....called themselves Federalists....The large class of small farmers...tended to oppose it. (And) some large landowners in New York's rich Hudson Valley were avid anti-Federalists. Bush campaigned on that issue very strongly. Madison, James, Hamilton, Alexander; and Jay, John: The FederalistPapers. America had a basicallyrural economy. Which side won? So were some of the wealthy Southern plantation owners (Lindop, 1987, p. But he admits that in a republican form ofgovernment the legislative branch tends to dominate. 76).The main problem, anti-Federalists had with the proposed Constitution wasthat they were afraid a federal government would impose a state religion.They were also concerned because it lacked a bill of rights. Wehear about the tyranny of the majority. He clearly understands the need for a "partition of power"(Madison, 199 , p. Because so many anti-Federalists where people who, for whateverreason, owed large sums of money, some of the reasons for their politicalbeliefs was seen as a way of eliminating those debts. Today the states are useful to conservative Republicans in Congress who seek to reduce federal spending. They argued that the Constitution destroyed the sovereignty of the states and that the President would have the powers of a king (Lindop, 1987, p. In short, the goal of the Federalists was"that a nation was a necessity...that the states had to be retained"(Lerner, 1957, p. This form "enumerated powers, sovereign and equal spheres"(Walker, 1995, p. 288). government work without majorobstructions, was devised by Madison because of his fear of factions. At thisearly time, the federal government was limited. It was the beginning of a new government. Perhaps the biggest believers in Federalism were James Madison,Alexander Hamilton and John Jay who wrote "The Federalist Papers". At the time the country was constitutionally organized, manypeople believed in Dual Federalism.

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