The Federalists and Anti-Federalists debated this new plan of action for months. The Federalists were supporters of the Constitution. ... John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison wrote a series of essays and published them as The Federalist Papers. ... The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution; they feared that a strong central government would be used as an instrument of tyranny. ... They saw the Federalists as people who would oppress lower class people. ...

• Word Count: 599
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Party competition first emerged, when James Madison and Thomas Jefferson sought to create a political opposition to Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and the Federalists. Madison who originally had been the leading federalist in the country became the leader of a more antifederalist Jeffersonian Republican party who embraced parties and factions in order to protect and preserve the future of federalism and the separation of powers. He feared that Hamilton's view of the Constitution and the unitary system that he advocated would destroy the delicate balance of powers that Madison's unde...

• Word Count: 1647
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Initially when the constitution was drafted, the anti federalists opposed it on the grounds that it gave too much power to the national government. ... Thus, James Madison argued in Federalist no. 10 that it would be in a large Federalist republic such as the United States, that one would find the greatest opportunity for all relevant interests to be heard. ...

• Word Count: 1375
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The U.S. Constitution Article Five, clause two of the United States Constitution states, "under the Authority of the United States, [the Constitution] shall be the supreme law of the land." As a result of the fact that the current activist government is pursuing inconsistent policies, many believe the Constitution has become irrelevant because no guiding principles seem to exist. Thomas Jefferson once said, "The Constitution belongs to the living and not to the dead." Accordingly, it is often referred to as a "living" document because of its regular alteration and ...

• Word Count: 2367
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School