Federalists vs Anti-Federalists

SS.7.C.1.8

Compare the views of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist about the ratification of the U.S.
Constitution by placing the tiles under the viewpoints they represent. After completing the
activity, answer the multiple choice questions on your handout.
Concern about
Federalist Viewpoint
Anti-Federalist Viewpoint
Government Power

Power between the

states and national
government
(What type of power
should each level of
government have? How
much power should each
level have?)

An enumerated listing
of individual rights.
(Should the new
constitution specifically
list rights that people
have? Why or Why not?)

Legislative Powers
(How much power should
the national Legislation
[Congress] have?)

Powers of the national

government
(How much power should
the national government
have? [this is your
President, Congress, and
Supreme Court] Explain)

The country needed to

be united

(Should the country

become more united or is
it fine the way it was
under the Articles of
Confederation?)

Federalists vs
AntiFederalists
Key
Concern about
Government Power

Power between the states

and national government
(What type of power
should each level of
government have? How
much power should each
level have?)
An enumerated listing of
individual rights.
(Should the new
constitution specifically
list rights that people
have? Why or Why not?)

Legislative Powers
(How much power should
the national Legislation
[Congress] have?)

Federalist Viewpoint

Anti-Federalist Viewpoint

The national government

would have enumerated
(listed) powers that would
protect all the people no
matter which state they
lived in.

Too much power would be

taken from the states; a
federal system was too
new and untested.

By not listing specific rights

in the Constitution, the
people were protected better
than they would be if the
Founders tried to list all the
rights they could possibly
think of. They might leave
something out, and that
could be dangerous for the
people.

The necessary and proper

clause/elastic clause
would allow Congress to
respond to the needs of all
the people.

The Constitution needed a

specific listing of rights to
protect the people from
the national government.

The necessary and

proper/elastic clause
would give too much
power to Congress.
Congress would use the
necessary and
proper/elastic clause to
abuse its power.

Powers of the national

government
(How much power should
the national government
have? [this is your
President, Congress, and
Supreme Court] Explain)

The country needed to be

united
(Should the country
become more united or is
it fine the way it was
under the Articles of
Confederation?)

Separation of powers and

checks and balances
protected the people from
any branch of government
becoming too strong.

Separation of powers and

checks and balances
would not do enough to
protect the people from
any branch of government
becoming too strong. The
national government
would still have too much
power.

The Constitution would

better unite the country
than the Articles of
Confederation.

The nation could be united

while the states would
keep their individual
identities.