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Federalists: Arguing for a New Constitution

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Compare and contrast the Federalist attitudes toward the national government. Include a discussion of the differences between the leaders and the supporters of the two parties.

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Solution Summary

The solution is a 972-word essay that explores the Federalist position in the Debate on the Articles of Confederation & the need for a new Constitution between Federalists & Anti-Federalists during the earlier period of American History. The positions and arguments towards centralization of power and nationalization of key government functions is enumerated including a discussion on the long term effect of the changes adopted. A word version of the solution is attached for easy printing & download, references are listed to allow students to expand on information provided.

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Dear Student,
Hello and thank you for using Brainmass. To expand on the ideas provided below, may I advise that you use the web references listed. In this particular lesson, what your professor expects is that you know the main difference between the politics of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists and what they stood for. As long as you remember this, that is all that matters. Good luck!

Sincerely,
OTA 105878/Xenia Jones
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Federalist & Anti-Federalist Attitudes towards National Government
(Debate on the Articles of Confederation & the need for a new Constitution)

Federalism as a movement was the brainchild of Alexander Hamilton, first Treasury Secretary of the United States under George Washington. Hamilton believed in centralizing power within the national government; a strong national government with financial credibility, Hamilton believed can only happen via strengthened economic programs to help create a stable America. National Economics, Hamilton believed is essential in establishing national foundations. During this period, it is important to remember that each state was autonomous to the other and while there was a union, the Continental Congress is very limited in terms of political and economic power is this lies within the hands of each state. The concern of America as a nation then is second only to the concern of a particular state; hence nation building after the toll of the American Revolution was a challenge. The Anti-Federalists did not believe that centralizing power was necessary and supported a weaker central government in favour of the states retaining power and autonomy. The likes of Thomas Jefferson ...

Solution provided by:
Xenia Rochelle Jones, MA, PhD (IP)
Education
  • MPhil/PhD (IP), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • MA, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • Certificate, Geva Ulpan (via Universita Tel Aviv)
  • BA, University of the Philippines
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