The Framers of the Constitution had the tough job of producing a new government, different from the Articles Of Confederation that would unite a newly born country, freed from the King of England.
The Anti-federalists believed that the central government needed more power than it had under the Articles of Confederation, but they argued that the Framers of the Constitution had gone too far. They feared that the centralized government proposed by the Framers would lead to a new kind of tyranny, and viewed the Constitution is a corrupt document without a Bill of Rights protecting the people's individual freedoms. They argued that only the states could judge the interests and requirements of their component regions, not a large government in one area, and believed that property should not be counted for representation. And finally, they argued that the Federal legislature is designed as an aristocratically institution, determined to steal the political prerogative of the people. Congress should not have the power to meddle in the commerce of the states, neither in trading nor shipping.
However, the Federalists believed that what they had drafted provided a strong, yet basic structure, which laid down the framework for the new nation. A federal government could provide for the common defense, raise revenue in time of war, and treat with other nations more effectively than might a confederation. They believed that, the people can not govern themselves, nor protect their collective rights, without a strong central government. A representative few must guard against the confusions of the multitude and only a strong central government can ensure that states participate in the general good. A single executive, or the president, would govern much more efficiently than multiple executives from different states. It would further guard against corruption within the Government.
With this Constitution, the Federalists believed that it protected the public good and did not need a Bill of Rights as an independent judiciary to secure the rights of all.
