Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist positions

During the Ratification of the Constitution


During the ratification of the constitution in the United States in 1788, two opposing camps arose, divided by, among other things, the distribution of power and rights of individual people, as well as a slew of other concerns. The federalists believed that a strong federal government would be preferable for the country's administration. They also desired a more powerful presidency and a more powerful legislative in the guise of Congress. On the other hand, antifederalists opposed such attitudes, arguing that a powerful federal government, as constituted by the constitution, mainly benefited the affluent class of company owners at the expense of ordinary citizens (Klarman 549). The Anti-federalists advocated for the creation of independent states with the power to legislate their own laws. In this essay, both positions are illuminated briefly hereafter before the anti-federalist position (which is accorded favor) is focused on and the relevance it holds in present day society highlighted.


The Two Positions


For the federalists, it was necessary to establish a strong central government to rule over the nation. Lim (33) points out that the federalist view advocated for the limitation of the power that states held and instead advanced the position that states should be represented in the senate by two representatives who advocate for such states' interests. Additionally the federalists also saw no need for the establishment of the bill of rights. Mainly drawing its support from the wealthy merchants and artisans as well as large scale farmers, the federalist view also held that in order to protect the civil rights and liberties of individuals, it was necessary to have a large republic (Cornell 118). From the point of the federalists, the articles of confederation were of no effect as a governing document for they limited the powers of congress to the requesting of cooperation from the individual states party to the union.


According to the antifederalists, who mainly small scale farmers from the rural areas of the union, there existed no need to adopt a constitution that would lead to the creation of a strong central government. They in essence worried that the interests of individual states would become subordinate to those of the union. Lim (39) also notes that the antifederalists did not favor a system of limiting the power of states through the senate that would house two state representatives. Another key position that the antifederalist held was the support for the bill of rights which they considered as an essential part of the existence of humans in the union, guaranteeing the liberties of the union's citizens (Klarman 553). The antifederalists favored the amendment rather than abolishment of the articles of confederation as the new constitution wanted. Vermeule (196) makes note of the fact that the antifederalists also held the view that only small republics (in the name of states) could effectively protect the rights of individual citizens as there had been any democracy as big as the new union would be.


Relevance of the Antifederalist Position Today


Antifederalists held views that still resonate with modern day realities. For one, the views held by the federalists advocated for the conferment of more power upon state and local governments. This would, in the opinion of Kistler (462) enable the states and local governments react to situations affecting, and specific to them. By placing power upon the states, it would be easier to formulate policies that respond to state-specific issues and problems rather than the top to bottom approach that the federalists favored by calling for the conferment of power upon a central government. Today, the devolution of power to the states has helped states become more independent and enhance their welfares faster than would have happened if the central government had held all the power. The distribution of power that the antifederalists called for has therefore led to more wholesome legislation and policy creation in the United States. In advocating for a strong state government, the antifederalists, according to Vermeule (187) also ensured that each citizen's voice was heard unlike what would have happened under a strong federal system that would only have favored the opinions of the wealthy class.


Today, many Americans, more than any other group of citizens in the world, continue to have faith in their government and the institutions created by such government because of the insistence of the antifederalists that power had to be devolved in order to encourage more inclusivity in governance. The advocacy and subsequent establishment of the principle of inclusivity in the governance of the states and the nation have led to more transparency in the conduct of affairs in the US, at least according to Bailey (169). The author also indicates that it is the efforts of the antifederalists that helped to create public confidence in the US governance system. By bringing the power to hold governments accountable to the common citizen rather than the wealthy individuals, the antifederalists not only helped improve governance in the United States but also promoted a culture of integrity in the conduct of public affairs. The antifederalists, through their insistence that governance should be devolved to the states and the local governments not only helped to create several thousands of jobs for American citizens but also helped encouraged a participatory approach to the process of policy making.


Individual freedoms and rights as guaranteed by the constitution of the United States form part of the hallmarks of a free society (which the US has always prided itself in being). Such freedoms and rights would to have been present today had the antifederalist refused to accept the new constitution of 1788 until they were included. In this manner therefore, the freedoms and rights as well as privileges that American citizens enjoy today, from the perspective of Newbold (63), can directly be credited to the antifederalists. In essence, it is the antifederalists (through their insistence on the inclusion of the bill of rights in the constitution) that can be credited with having made the US what it is today; a land of the free and a home for the brave. Summarily therefore, it is the antifederalists that can be credited with having made America the leader of the free world.


Conclusion


Though both federalists and antifederalist had valid concerns and raised important issues before the ratification of the 1788 United States constitution, many of the issues raised by the antifederalists still affect a great deal of the lives of American citizens even in the present day as outlined here-above, with the biggest and most notable contribution being the fight for the inclusion of the bill of rights in the constitution that was ratified in 1788.

Works Cited

Bailey, Jeremy D. “The Traditional View of Hamilton’s Federalist No. 77 and an Unexpected Challenge: A Response to Seth Barrett Tillman.” Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy 33 (2010): 169.

Cornell, Saul. The Other Founders: Anti-Federalism and the Dissenting Tradition in America, 1788-1828. Charlottesville, NC: University of North Carolina Press Books, 2012.

Kistler, Cameron O. “The Anti-Federalists and Presidential War Powers.” The Yale Law Journal 121.2 (2011): 459-468.

Klarman, Michael J. “The Founding Revisited.” (2011): 544-578.

Lim, Elvin T. “The Anti-Federalist Strand in Progressive Politics and Political Thought.” Political Research Quarterly 66.1 (2013): 32-45.

Newbold, Stephanie P. “Federalist No. 27: Is Transparency Essential for Public Confidence in Government?” Public Administration Review 71.s1 (2011).

Vermeule, Adrian. “Precautionary Principles in Constitutional Law.” Journal of Legal Analysis 4.1 (2012): 181-222.

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