Compare And Contrast Federalist And Anti Federalists

Federalist and Anti-Federalists: The Debate that Shaped American History

Following the turbulent period of the Revolutionary War, a young nation was officially born on the massive continent of North America. After years of indirect British rule, the colonies were left to completely govern themselves and were largely disconnected with no strong centralized government to unite the colonies. With the colonists preferring limited government such as governors with weak executive power, their animosity with an authoritative and aristocratic government was clear (Baker 9/29/15). This preference was reflected in the first constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation. However, due to its glaring weaknesses, a revision was necessary.

This belief in a more powerful national government and its ability to unite the states together to become a collective country centered on its ability to solve internal and external affairs. Prior to the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation’s glaring weakness included the limited powers of Congress such as its inability to tax or regulate commerce, no national military, and no executive or judiciary branch (Baker 9/29/15). With the Constitution granting the increase in the power of the national government, it sought to solve these deficiencies. Highlighting the need to proliferate the power of Congress, The Federalist 51 by James Madison wrote that “in republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates” (Madison 1788, 60). The Federalists believed in authorizing the legislative branch the most power due to it being the voice of the people. Another argument for the national government by the Federalists was evidenced in the Federalist 10 by James Madison. Madison, having a negative view of factions, stated that “there are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by destroying its causes; the other, by controlling its effects” (Madison 1787, 52). Despite his disparaging view on factions, Madison stressed its necessity as “liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment

In a time period straight after the Revolutionary War, a stronger national government was crucial in order to unite the country after the recognition of their independence. After a long period of comfortable representation by the British, unity was necessary. Provisions such as the creation of a national military, increased powers of Congress, and the addition of the judiciary and executive branch all had and has a significant impact on American history and today. With the weak economy after the Revolutionary War and states having its own individual currency, the federal control of money was necessary to the revive the economy and infrastructure (Baker 9/29/15). Another importance of the military is their ability to facilitate the executive duty to enforce laws. One historical example is President Dwight Eisenhower sending the 101 U.S. airborne-unit to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 to safely escort African-American students to a racially segregated high school (Baker 10/13/15). Despite Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka in 1954’s judiciary ruling for the desegregation of schools, Governor Orval Faubus opposed integration (Baker 10/13/15). The executive, President Eisenhower, effectively used the power supported by the Federalists to enforce the law. This enforcement of laws may have been impossible under the Anti-Federalists. Also, The Federalists’ desire to increase federal power