The Anti-Federalists

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The Anti-Federalist’s view of government about having a federal government where the states have more power rather than to have a central government was justified. The Anti-federalists wanted to ensure the protection of individual rights along with allowing the states to have the role of checking and balancing each other. Although their inspiration was the Articles of Confederation, their main goal was to make a few adjustments along with adding a Bill of Rights to secure the citizens’ rights for many generations to come. Federalists, people who supported the Constitution, sided with having a central government. They had the determination to have the Constitution ratified. Important Federalist figures such as Alexander Hamilton and James Madison …show more content…

They also believed that the Constitution was enough to ensure the people’s rights and that the Bill of Rights was not needed. Of all the positions they argued, the quote “We may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure for a limited period, or during good behavior” is one of the most agreeable statements. This quote states that the new Constitution should not be compared to the structure of government that the Ancient Romans had. The government should be supported by the voice of the people along with representatives that are elected by the people. Another quote by the federalists, “It is evident that each department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should have as little agency as possible in the …show more content…

The cost of having a strong central government could lead to corruption if something goes wrong. Also, their view of government is flawed due to them not wanting to add the Bill of Rights to make sure that individual rights would be protected. In fact, they were hesitant about adding them due to fearing misinterpretation and restricting a right if it doesn’t appear on the Bill of Rights. Another quote in favor of the Anti-Federalists, “As long as we can preserve our unalienable rights, we are in safety”, is reasonable as individual rights are most important when it comes to controlling a