Editor's Choice
What questions did Anti-Federalists ask Federalists?
Quick answer:
The Anti-Federalists questioned the Federalists on various issues, primarily concerning the potential for tyranny under a strong central government. They asked how a powerful executive wouldn't lead to monarchy, why a federal government should have the power to tax like Britain, and why there wasn't a Bill of Rights. They also questioned the need for a National Bank, the shift away from state power, and the alignment with Britain over France, fearing these changes betrayed revolutionary ideals.
The Federalist Debates were waged around the ratification of the US Constitution—with the anti-Federalists opposing the Constitution, suspicious of the increased power it gave to the Federal Government. In the context of this debate, an anti-Federalist might have asked questions like the following:
Under the Constitution, you have created an independent executive branch headed by the office of the President. To give so much power to a single person: how do you know you are not enshrining a new kind of monarchy?
Under the Constitution, the Federal Government has the power to levy taxes. Is this not a betrayal of the Revolution? We denounced Britain when they imposed taxes on us. But once again we see a distant government, far removed from the people themselves, claiming for itself the power to raise taxes.
How can you guarantee the rights of the people or defend against future abuses of power if...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
you have not included a Bill of Rights to guarantee and protect those freedoms?
These were the sorts of questions that might have been raised in the Federalist Debates. In general, you might say that the anti-Federalists were very nervous about the increase in Federal Power represented by the Constitution and the potential threat to liberty that such a trend might create.
- How is a strong, centralized federal government keeping with our values of republican liberty? We've just defeated British tyranny in a long, bitter conflict, and now you want to bring it back again?
- Why do you want to change the system of government that helped us beat the British in the Revolutionary War? A loose confederation of states proved remarkably effective then, why can't it do the same now?
- Won't the establishment of a National Bank have a devastating impact on state banks and commerce? America's prosperity is based on agriculture, but a National Bank will divert vital resources away from rural areas towards commercial enterprises on the East coast. As a result, the states will become poorer, agriculture will be ruined, and we'll see the establishment of a wealthy banking elite, which will concentrate political power in its hands.
Federalists and Anti-Federalists had different opinions on many topics. Federalists believed the federal government should have an active and strong role. They believed in having a national bank. They wanted the federal government to have significant power. They tended to support Great Britain in foreign policy matters. They believed in a loose view of the Constitution.
The Anti-Federalists had opposite views. They were against the national bank. They wanted the state governments to have more power than the federal government. They wanted the federal government to have a limited role in our society. They tended to support France in foreign policy issues. They believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution.
Anti-Federalists would likely ask the Federalists the following questions:
Why do you want a strong federal government when we fought against the rule of the strong British government?
Why should we be friendlier with Great Britain when it was France that helped us in the Revolutionary War?
Why should we try to interpret what the writers of the Constitution meant? Why can’t we follow what is directly written in the Constitution?
Why do we want to have an extensive system of taxes when we were opposed to the taxes the British placed on us?
Why were the Federalists willing to pass laws such as the Alien and Sedition Acts that limited our freedoms when we fought so hard to gain the freedoms we had?
The Anti-Federalists would have had a lot of questions for the Federalists because they different views on many significant issues.