Opposing Viewpoints Between Anti-Federalists and the Federalists
Author: Robert D. Johnston
Adapted by: Christi Vandergriff
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Federalist Viewpoint 4
Questions 4
Anti-Federalist Viewpoint 5
Questions 5
Bill of Rights 6
Questions 6
Ratification of the Federal Constitution 7
Questions 7
The Purposes of the 3 Branches of Government 8
Fun Facts 8
Questions 8
Current in History 9
Questions 9
The Great Debate 10-12
Questions 10-12
Bibliography 13
Introduction
The Articles of Confederation was the first attempt to put a structure of government in place to protect our freedom and liberties. This document did not provide unity and it was a weak structure for the government. As a result, the Constitution was written in place of the Articles of Confederation and it is the law of the land over any document in the United States of America. When the Constitution was written, there were concerns about conflicts, money, credit, trade, and regional domination. These concerns led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. When the Constitutional Convention was held, George Washington was elected President of the convention. He believed that the crucial policy-making decisions needed to have equal representation of the states and popular representation.
Some of the states in the thirteen colonies were in disagreement about adopting the original Constitution when it was first written in 1787. There were also two sides of the opposition concerning the Constitution. On one side, there were the Federalists and the opposing side includes the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were supporters of the Constitution and they upheld the viewpoint that more power in the federal government would increase the liberty for the American citizens. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists believed that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government. Eventually, all thirteen colonies ratified the Constitution in 1789. Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Constitution, but James Madison was the architect of the Constitution.
The Federalist Viewpoint
The Federalists were of the viewpoint that the separation of powers would potentially give any of the branches of government too much power. The branches of government would be split into 3 branches, which are the executive, the legislative , and the judicial branches of government. According to the Federalists, more power in the national government would give the American people more liberty. The government would also be stronger if more power was centered on the federal government. This is a necessity because a weak government would result in anarchy, which is harmful for the economy.
The Anti-Federalist Viewpoint
Anti-Federalists held the viewpoint that cities and states should have more power than the federal government. They also believed citizens would need to oversee the government officials to ensure that they are looking after the interests of the American people, not their own interests. Since the government would be financed by taxes from its citizens, the citizens should have more control on how the federal government spends their budget.
The structure of the government under the new Constitution would be too complicated. The Anti-Federalists upheld the viewpoint that both the separation of powers and the checks and balances in the Constitution would make the government more simple. The local citizens should run the government not the government officials. The Anti-Federalists feared that if the federal government became too powerful and complicated, it would result in a new form of aristocracy, which would resemble the monarchy in England.
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is a historical document, which consists of the first ten amendments in the Constitution. It lists the basic rights which the American citizens must have in their daily lives. For an example, freedom of speech is one of the ten basic freedoms we have granted in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. The Federalists won many agruments in the controversial, heated debates regarding the Constitution. Conversely, the Bill of Rights was the greatest contribution of the Anti-Federalists, which made the Constitution acceptable by the standards of both parties. Despite the disagreement over the separation of powers, it was put into our Constitution to protect our individual liberties. The checks and balances was also incorporated in the Constitution to ensure that each branch has equal power and one branch will not become more powerful than the others.
The Ratification of the Federal Constitution
Virginia and New York were the largest and most powerful states in the thirteen colonies. They were also hesitant about ratifying the Constitution until it was ratified by New Hampshire. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify and this made the new government official. The new government became known as democracy. On the other hand, the last state to ratify was Rhode Island. Rhode Island did not ratify the Constitution until one year after the new government was operating. When Rhode Island ratified the Constitution, it was made possible by a small margin from a thirty-four to a thirty-two majority vote.
Purposes of the 3 branches of Government
The executive branch consists of the President, Vice-President, and 15-Cabinet level departments. The President decides who works for them. The executive branch has the power to enforce the laws. Some of the responsibilities of the federal government, which the executive branch overlooks, are: collecting taxes, Homeland Security, and representing both the political views and economic interests of the United States citizens. The President also has the power to veto a bill and needs to explain why he or she wants to veto a bill that he or she disagrees with.
The legislative branch consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state has two senators representating the state in the United States. The number of representatives for the House of Representatives varies from state-to-state due to population. The legislative branch has the power to make the laws. This branch of government also distributes funds and provides financial assistance throughout the United States. Congress, which is made up of the Senate and House of Representatives, has the power to override the President's veto with a 2/3 vote. If this happens, the bill will become a law.
The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court and the lower courts. Nine justices are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. The purpose of the judicial branch is to challenge the legislation and interpret the laws created by the legislative branch.
Current in History
In modern-day, the American people still have opposing viewpoints about our government. Some hold true to the viewpoint that the best option is to have a strong central government, which holds most of the power. By the same token, others believe the best option is to give the power to the state and local governments to maintain control by the American people. These viewpoints are the result of our two major political parties, which are the Republicans and the Democrats. The controversial debate concerning our government is beneficial because it enables us to resolve issues, improve the government, and improve the lives of the American citizens.
The Great Debate: Federalists versus Anti-Federalists
Today almost all Americans honor the Constitution. Under its guidance, the American people have created a national government that has done a tremendous amount to promote freedom. Given the sad record of world history, with governments coming and going in many countries, often with brutal consequences for their citizens, this stable central government has proved to be a mainstay of our democracy.
The Constitution, though, almost did not become the law of the land. It's opponents had valid arguments that are still worth hearing. What were these Anti-Federalists concerned about?
First and foremost, Anti-Federalists believed in local control. They believed that if the government took power away from a city, a state, or a region, then it would be increasingly difficult to watch what government officials were doing. And since government officials often sought to enlarge their power, citizens had to keep an eye on them. Otherwise, taxes would be spent in unwise ways, fattening the wallets of the rich and well connected. Citizens' liberties would eventually decline, Anti-Federalists feared.
The Anti-Federalists also believed that the new government, with its President, Supreme Court, and two separate houses of the legislature, was far too complex. The simpler and more locally based the government was, they claimed, the more responsive it would be to the people.
These opponents of the Constitution believed that the middle class, made up of farmers, craftsmen, and others, should help run the government. They feared that the new government's size and complexity would benefit the rich and encourage the growth of corrupt special interest groups. A new aristocracy of government officials and the wealthy might even arise. This would recreate the oppressive British system.
To many Americans at the time, the Anti-Federalists seemed truer to the principles of the Declaration of Independence than the Federalists were, because they focused on equality. The defenders of the Constitution, by contrast, seemed to have become more interested in order than in the ideal of democracy.
The Federalists, though, declared that they were the rightful heirs to the Revolution. They argued that concentrating power at the national level enhanced rather than destroyed liberty. Anarchy--- the chaos that would result from a weak and useless government --- would not benefit anyone, rich or poor. They believed that by separating the powers of government among an executive branch to govern, a legislative branch to make laws, and a judicial branch to enforce those laws, they could prevent any one of these branches of the government from making rash decisions or gaining too much power.
The vision of the Federalists is recorded in (The Federalist better known today as The Federalist Papers), a collection of essays by James Madison, Alexander Hamiliton, and John Jay. This book contains some of the most important reflections on the American political experiment ever written.
Today, however, Americans take just as seriously the Anti-Federalists' most lasting creation: the Bill of Rights. If it had not been for the insistence of the Anti-Federalists, we would not have these first ten amendements to the Constitution. This list includes such basic rights as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press and assembly, and the right to a trial by a jury of one's peers.
The Federalists ultimately won most of the great debate, but it was a difficult struggle. Because of powerful Anti-Federalist oppostion, the two largest and most powerful states, Virginia and New York, ratified the Constitution only after it was accepted by the ninth state, when the new government was formally in place.
The 13th, and last, state to ratify the Constitution-- Rhode Island-- did not do so until more than a year after the new government began operating. It did so only by a vote of 34 to 32 and only after the government of the United States threatened to stop trading with it. This great debate between those who prefer a strong central government and those who want to protect the rights of the states and of individuals continues. Every day, in newspapers, on television, in offices and school rooms, we discuss ways to make our government more effective while preserving our liberties.
Being free to express different points of view about the way our nation should be run helps us resolve issues peacefully and keeps our government responsive to its citizens' needs. And if we can learn to see the wisdom in both sides of a debate, then we will be in a better position to work out solutions that can lead to better government and a better life.
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