Federalist
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After winning their independence in the American Revolution, Americas leaders were
hesitant to create a strong centralized government in fear that it would only replace King George IIIs tyranny. As a result, the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, gave the national government hardly any power over the states, and created chaos within the nation. Because of the Articles inefficiency, a new document called the Constitution was drafted. The Constitution created a more centralized government with the separation of powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The ratification of this new constitution created a debate among the federalists and the anti-federalists. The federalists were supporters of the ratification and were led by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. These three Federalist leaders wrote “The Federalist Papers”, a series of eighty-five essays defending the Constitution, under the name “Publius”, and circulated the documents widely. They claimed that the division of powers and the system of checks and balances would protect Americans from the tyranny of centralized authority. Thus people did not need to be protected from the powers of the new government in a formal way. The federalists strongly affirmed that a stronger federal government needed to be instituted.
Federalists built on the notions of classical republicanism. They claimed that the nation did not need to fear centralized authority when a carefully structured government would exclude the possibility of tyranny. The Articles of Confederation were approved by the Congress that designed them and sent to state legislators for ratification; the public opinion was disregarded. “When the people of America reflect that they are now called upon to decide a question, which in its consequences must prove one of the most important that ever engaged their attention, the propriety of their taking a very comprehensive, as well as a very serious, view of it will be evident” (No. 2: Jay). Jay set out to persuade the public about the importance of their voice in ratifying the Constitution by appealing to their sense of patriotism and by reminding them of their own powers to judge upon the validity of the arguments. The federalists made it very clear that they, and the future Constitution, would take the views of the public with serious consideration. In the same essay, Jay also wrote that “the people must cede to it some of their natural rights, in order to vest it with requisite powers.” He reminded the people to look out for the interest of the nation as a whole. Increasing distrust in public affairs and the search for private rights were some of the distresses the infant nation was undergoing. “These must be chiefly, if not wholly, effects of the unsteadiness and injustice with which a factious spirit has tainted our public administration” (No.10: Madison). The federalists believed that a republican form of government was the best remedy in eliminating factions, citizens with a common inspiring cause that acted harmfully to another, without destroying liberty. This would be possible because a higher number of representatives would guard against the factions, which would never become the majority under the republic.
“After an unequivocal experience of the inefficacy of the subsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate on a new Constitution for the United States of America” (No. 1: Hamilton). The first sentence of the “Federalist Papers” states that the Articles of Confederation was a failure. Unlike the Articles, the Constitution would provide a plan for an ideal form of government that would be capable of handling unforseen situations and changes in the future. Under the Articles of Confederation, the Union was already falling apart on many different issues including tensions with the European nations Spain and England. Lack of national unity was the most serious problem for American under the Confederation. The federalists argued that a strong union would have prevented individual states from seeking their own interests, but rather bind the states together to create a strong nation. They emphasized the inadequacy and inefficiency of the Articles. Each state, regardless of its population, had only one vote in Congress. Furthermore, the Articles could not be amended without the consent of all the states, making changes in government difficult to achieve. Congress had amassed a huge debt during the Revolutionary War. However, after the war, Continental currency became worthless. Lacking the power to tax, the Congress had to request the states approval to impose a tariff, or tax on imported goods; its plan was to use the revenue to repay foreign loans. The request was denied. The Confederation Congress also had no control over interstate or foreign trade, which created many conflicts economically. Lack of support by states for national concerns gave Congress foreign-relations problems. Britain refused to evacuate its military forts on the Great Lakes. Spains presence on the borders of the United States posed another threat to westward expansion. In addition, Spain closed to Mississippi River to American navigation in 1784. The problems the Congress encountered domestically and internationally pointed to basic weaknesses