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

Supporters of a new constitution that strengthened the federal government included American leaders James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton. ... In his 1788 essay "The Federalist, No. LI, delegate to the Constitutional Convention and former delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from Virginia James Madison argued the importance of establishing a system of checks and balances among the U.S. government's different branches. ... Madison believed government needed to control itself. ... The nation's ideas developed from Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison. ...

• Word Count: 1434
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

President James Madison then appointed him to Minister to Russia in 1809. ... He also showed effectiveness as the Minister to Great Britain during the last two years of the Madison administration. ... The son of a leading Federalist Party, Adams proved to be anything but a slavish devotee to that political cause. ... The final break from the Federalist Party came after Adams choice to support President Jefferson's Embargo act of 1807. ... Despite his break with the Federalist Party, he remained active in politics. ...

• Word Count: 1564
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Jefferson expressed in a letter to James Madison that he liked much of the Constitution and agreed that the greater house should be chosen by the people, yet he felt that the people would choose persons not qualified to legislate. ... Thomas Jefferson considered himself neither Federalist nor Anti-Federalist. ... Jefferson felt that because he opposed some of the Federalists ideas and many more of the Anti-federalists ideas that he could not be grouped with either party or in between the parties. ...

• Word Count: 1667
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

Opponents, called the Anti- Federalists, disagreed. Remembering their experience as British colonists, the Anti-Federalists feared that the stronger national government would abuse individual rights. ... The Anti-Federalist Party in particular claimed that unless certain rights were spelled out in a Bill of Rights, the government would easily take over these rights and abuse the people. Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Mason were all of the Anti-Federalist opinion. ...

• Word Count: 2226
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Articles of Confederation: Once our Government, Now our History The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States of America. Soon after the Revolutionary War in America, the Articles of Confederation were first drafted by the continental congress in Philadelph...

• Word Count: 1442
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography

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