What Were The Beliefs Of The Federalist And Anti-Federalists

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The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were arguing about the strength of the strong central government and the weak central. strong state government. The Federalists held that to preserve the independence that the country had gained in the American Revolution, a more powerful federal government with jurisdiction over the states was required. The Anti-Federalist supported strong state governments, a weak federal government, and the support of individual liberty for national politics. The Federalists and Anti-federalists were arguing because of government power and the Anti-federalists were correct because all Americans voted for their rules. Anti-federalists considered the will of the people, and the Anti federalists were accurate in their views …show more content…

To protect the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had established, the Constitution was necessary. Although the Federalists certainly created a new political ideology, they believed that protecting the Revolution's social gains was their primary duty. “History will teach us that the former has found a much more certain road to introduce despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; starting demagogues and ending tyrants”. Most people attempt to win over the public and establish themselves as the voice of the majority before turning into tyrants or dictators. The statement is meant to be a warning to politicians who seek power through petty and desired means, since doing so may cause the rise of authoritarian governments and a decline in democratic values. It highlights the idea that people who manipulate public opinion and gain popularity could eventually threaten a society's rights and liberties. “The vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty; that, in the contemplation of a sound and well-informed judgment, their interest can never be separated;” Federalists hold that the power of the federal government is essential …show more content…

Regarding the ideal structure of government, they did not agree on a single point. They did, however, agree to oppose the Constitution as it was being put up for ratification in 1787. The Anti-Federalists opposed the national power grab. They supported the restricted use of national power that the Articles of Confederation allowed for small, localized administrations. They thought republican governments could only exist at the state level and could not function at the federal level. Therefore, the nation's liberty and freedom could only be safeguarded by a confederacy of the separate states. The group advocating for the proposed Constitution was dubbed "federalists." Their choice of name suggested they were committed to a loose, scattered form of leadership. "FEDERALISM," which denotes a powerful central government, was the reverse of the strategy that they backed. It would have been more correct to refer to the proponents of the Constitution as "the nationalists." But in the 1780s, being called a "nationalist" would have been a political risk. The Revolutionary Era's common political assumption was that a strong, centralized authority would eventually result in the abuse of power. The Federalists also knew that the Articles of Confederation's creation of a weak central government was the primary cause of the nation's issues in the 1780s. While anti-federalists thought the states should keep their current power and