1. Anti-Federalists Arguments Flash Cards
Government

2. -Lacks Bill of Rights to protect individual rights of the people
Explanations:
-Lacks Bill of Rights to protect individual rights of the people
-National government undermines people’s right
Arg: Fear of Tyranny/ No Bill of Rights

3. Arg: National Government was too Powerful/ Limited National Government
Explanations:
-New powers → had power to collect unpopular taxes from the people
-Wanted to limit the national government

4. Argument: Anti-Supremacy Clause
Explanations:
-Supremacy Clause: if conflict arose b/w federal and state governments, federal law would win out
-wanted to get rid of this clause

5. Argument: Anti “Necessary and Proper” Clause
Explanations:
-Elastic Clause: gave Congress power to make and pass any laws they deemed “necessary and proper.”
-Feared National gov would use this to pass any taxes → gave them too much power in Congress

6. Argument: The Republic is too Vast to Govern
Explanation:
-There are too many diverse interests to govern by one body

7. Argument: Fear of the Chief Executive
Explanations:
-Anti-Feds believed chief Executive (Pres.) could become a monarch
-Feds wanted President to hold office for life and have absolute veto power→ No for Anti-Feds

8. Argument: Anti- Slavery Explanations:
-Anti-Feds wanted no slavery clauses in the Constitution
-They wanted to abolish slavery→ they said it violated the spirit of the American Revolution
Caveat: #2 is a generalization! Some Federalists wanted to abolish slavery and some Anti-Federalists owned slaves. Not all members in each party were unified in their personal interests.