Anti Federalists Pros And Cons

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The Anti-Federalists were a group of diverse individuals who formed together to oppose the passage of the Constitution back in 1787. They were all in agreement by their fear of a potentially oppressive and powerful national government. The government at the time was dominated by wealthy aristocrats. The absence of a bill of rights in the new Constitution was a major sign of danger for them. Some states, such as North Carolina, prohibited ratifying the Constitution until a bill of rights was included. Most state individual constitutions already had provisions insuring the state citizens' individual rights. The Constitution seemed to form a huge federal government that had more centralized control than what existed in the Articles of Confederation. …show more content…
For the Anti-federalists, this strong central government improperly took away rights from the states. They also feared that long politician terms and no limits on the amount of times a person can be re-elected would result in the constitution of an elected elite, especially within the Senate. The Articles of Confederation created a weak federal government by its fail at maintaining order in the new nation. In the minds of some Anti-federalists, the Constitution was the product of the priveledged elites and wealthy citizens who took advantage of the ongoing confusion to advertise their own power and ambition. Anti-federalist proposals included allowing state legislatures to require rotating office terms and to recall senators if necessary. Also under the Constitution the House of Representatives recommened having only 55 seats. From the Anti-federalist viewpoint a true republican government however required a small geographic area where representatives could get to know their constituents. Plus, a small community of voters would be more likely to have the same interests and concerns, making it easier for their representative to advocate on their behalf more
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