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Jan 9, 2024 · January 9, 2024. In a fractious political environment often dominated by the loudest voices on the left and right, some people are saying: Count us out. Last year, we talked to a group of people who, while they may vote, are not strongly attached to either political party. They don’t closely follow news about politics or government, though ...
A republican government is one in which the people – directly or indirectly – are the ultimate source of authority, electing representatives to make laws that serve their interests and advance the common good. Republicanism would prove its political viability in the Founding of America.
May 18, 2020 · Article. The Federalist Party: Creating a New Government. By Adam E. Zielinski • May 18, 2020 • Updated April 23, 2024. Of all the things the Federalist Party can be labeled among its enemies of the era, no one could undermine the very nature of its inception.
- Overview
- Key documents to know
- Key takeaways from this lesson
- Review questions
How do we make sure that a government that's powerful enough to get things done isn't so powerful that it infringes on our personal liberties?
When crafting the new constitution that would replace the Articles of Confederation, the Framers had to answer an important question: What type of government would be strong enough to enforce order, but not so strong that it would violate the personal liberties of American citizens?
Federalist No. 10 — An essay written by James Madison, in which he argues that a strong central government will control the effects of factions.
Brutus No. 1 — An Anti-Federalist essay that argued against a strong central government, based on the belief that it would not be able to meet the needs of all US citizens.
Limited government in the Constitution: The Articles of Confederation had several weaknesses that made governing difficult. These weaknesses caused delegates to meet in Philadelphia to discuss replacing the Articles of Confederation with a Constitution that created a stronger central government. Anti-Federalists, or people who were against ratifying the Constitution, feared that a strong central government would lead to tyranny and not reflect people’s needs.
The debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists led to several compromises that created a blueprint for a limited government, in which the Constitution limits the power of the federal government.
Who has the power: states or the federal government? Federalist No. 10 and Brutus No. 1 show how Federalists and Anti-Federalists had different opinions on how strong the federal government should be.
In Federalist No. 10, Madison argued that a large republic could control the “mischiefs of faction” and evenly distribute power between the federal government and the states.
The author of Brutus No. 1 disagreed, arguing that a powerful, centralized government was too far removed from individual citizens to meet their needs.
This debate about the proper role and strength of the federal government still exists today, as seen in issues like the role of the federal government in public school education.
How does the Constitution create a limited government?
What are the advantages of a large central government, as described in Federalist No. 10?
What are the disadvantages of a large central government, as explained in Brutus No. 1?
[Notes and attributions]
Powers of the federal government that are not explicitly named in the Constitution but are implied by the “necessary and proper” clause. limited government: A political system in which the government’s power is restricted by laws or a written Constitution. natural rights: The right to life, liberty, and property, which no government may ...
Jefferson and his colleagues formed the Republican Party in the early 1790s. By 1795, the Federalists had become a party in name as well. After John Adams, their candidate, was elected president ...
In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this inconveniency is to divide the legislature into different branches; and to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action, as little connected with each other as the nature of their common functions and their common ...
