Anti-Federalist :: essays research papers

Most Americans were real suspicious of authorities, but the Anti-Federalist was really mistrustful of the government in oecumenic and strong depicted object government. This mistrust was the basis of their opposition to the constitution. They feared it had created a government the people could not control. Many distinguished Americans were Anti-Federalists. Leaders included George mason and Elbridge Gerry. Both attended the Philadelphia Convention but had refused to sign the constitution. The Anti-Federalist argued that the paper had many an(prenominal) flaws. The thought that it should have been developed in meetings whose proceedings was open to the public. And it would overthrow a republican form of government. It gave too much supply to the matter government at the expense of the powers of offer governments. It gave too much power to the executive branch of the national government at the expense of the otherwise branches. It gave too much power because of the necessa ry and proper clause. It did not adequately separate the powers of the executive and legislative branches. In addition, it allowed the national government to spare an army during peacetime. And also it did not include a bill of rights. They feared that because of these flaws in the Constitution, the new national government would be a threat to their national rights. They also thought that the constitution had been developed by an elite and internal group to create a national government for the purpose of avail its own selfish interest. They thought the only safe government that if it had a local and closely linked with the will of the people. And controlled by the people, by such means as we have yearly elections and replacing peopled in key positions often.The Federalist knew that many members of Congress and the state governments were against the new Constitution, largely because it bring down their powers. So the federalist decided not to ask the Congress or state government s to approve the Constitution, even though they were expected to do so. Today, now that the Constitution has worked successfully for 200 years, it would be easy to ignore the anti-federalist of 1787 and 1788 as an piddling historical force, a collection of no constructive reactionaries and cranks. Actually, the anti-federalist may rise up have represented the views of the majority of the Americans, whose reasons for preferring the old Articles of Confederation were firmly inside the democratic tradition.Among the anti-federalist were fiery old patriot leaders who feared