Federalist Party Dbq

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The Federalist Party was the United States’s first political party that consisted of: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, George Washington, and John Adams, additionally known as the "federalists." These Federalists, predominantly led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, believed that establishing a large national government was necessary to “create a more perfect union”. Thus, this idea resulted in their decision to construct a document to justify government;The Constitution. In order for the Constitution to be ratified, it needed approval from nine of thirteen states. The Federalists supported the Constitution, while another party called, the Anti-Federalists, opposed the Constitution. These Anti-Federalists disagreed …show more content…

45, one of the writers, James Madison, argued that the Union is necessary to the people’s contentment, and that the balance of power between the states and the national government will grant an Ideal happiness for the people. Madison continues to indicate that the most fundamental purpose of government, and of the Constitution, is the people’s happiness, and therefore only a government that promotes this happiness is valid. Quoting, “Were the plan of the Convention adverse to the public happiness, my voice would be, reject the plan. Were the Union itself inconsistent with the public happiness, it would be, abolish the Union.” Thereby explaining that the Constitution prevents this by comprehending the state's’ role in government, while realizing that the national government cannot operate without the state governments, resulting in the state governments being supported and persuaded to agree with the …show more content…

46, written again by James Madison, he emphasizes that the national and state governments are two totally contrastive organizations. By expressing that they are separate but are still able to connect on various platforms, Madison reveals that the power of these governments lie in the people. Furthermore, the people’s instinctive presence will always influence the governments of their respective states, therefore the federal government must, in relation, be exceptionally compliant with the people. As said in true terms, “ The adversaries of the Constitution seem to have lost sight of the people altogether in their reasonings on this subject; and to have viewed these different establishments, not only as mutual rivals and enemies, but as uncontrolled by any common superior in their efforts to usurp the authorities of each other. These gentlemen must here be reminded of their error. They must be told that the ultimate authority, wherever the derivative may be found, resides in the people alone, and that it will not depend merely on the comparative ambition or address of the different governments, whether either, or which of them, will be able to enlarge its sphere of jurisdiction at the expense of the other. Truth, no less than decency, requires that the event in every case should be supposed to depend on the sentiments and sanction of their common constituents.” The Anti-Federalists feared that the Constitution would give the federal government