AP Gov Chapter 2.4 (Ratification: Federalists versus Antifederalists)
How is the Electoral College an example of the founders' mistrust of pure democracy?
It prevents the president from being directly elected by American citizens.
The Federalist Papers are:
a collection of eighty-five essays that outline the theory behind the Constitution.
The Antifederalist argument regarding the power of the national government was that:
a stronger national government might infringe on the rights of the states.
*The Bill of Rights* 1) A list of... 2) Who had them? 3) Who considers them unnecessary and why? 4) Why is it necessary? 5) When were the ten amendments added to the Constitution?
1) A list of rights and liberties that governments cannot take away 2)State constitutions had them 3) Not considered necessary by Federalists -->Government already limited -->People already sovereign --->Might not be comprehensive 4) Considered necessary to check the tendency of government to infringe on liberties of citizens 5) 1791
1) What were the primary points of disagreement between the Federalists and the Antifederalists? 2) Which side eventually prevailed? 3) Why did arguments of the Federalists eventually prevail over the arguments of the Antifederalists?
1) Disagreed on the distribution of power between the government and states as well as the size of government 2) Federalist 3) Federalists eventually prevailed over the Antifederalist because they created the Bill of Rights. Before hand, James Madison and other opponents believed it unnecessary, so the Antifederalists used it to their advantaged and influenced citizens that they wanted to create a strong central government only ruled by elites. Antifederalists used this reason to convince others that their natural rights aren't assured. This worked so effectively that the Federalists had to create the Bill of Rights in order to win; and they did, but only by a small margin.
*Federalist No. 78* An Independent Judiciary 1) What does Hamilton's essay include about the need for the strong federal judiciary? 2) Why is the judicial branch the least dangerous?
1) Hamilton's essay about the need for a strong federal judiciary, including the theory of judicial review and the importance of life terms of justices 2) The judicial branch is the least dangerous because 1) it must rely on the other branches to carryout its rulings; and 2) it lacks the power of the purse and the power of the sword held by the other branches
*Federalist No. 70* Power to the President 1) Who argued for a single, powerful executive created by the _____. 2) What will a single executive operate in a time of crisis? 3) Why won't a single president become tyrant? 4) Who did Hamilton have in mind when he created the executive branch?
1) Hamilton; Constitution 2) A single executive will be able to operate with more energy and efficiency in executing the law and responding in the case of a crisis 3) A single president will not become a tyrant because one individual will be easier to control 4) Hamilton reminds them if you want to get things done, you need to have an executive, and Hamilton comes up with the executive branch with George Washington in mind
*Federalist Papers- No.51* 1) Who wrote it? 2) What did Anti- federalist argue? 3) What are the keys to preventing tyranny? 4) What do check and balances prevent?
1) Madison 2) Antifederalists argued the national government would grow more distant from people and oppress them 3) Separation of powers and checks and balances are keys to preventing tyranny - already built in to the structure 4) Prevent one branch from becoming too powerful and taking away liberty
*Federalist Papers-No.51* 1) What did Madison argue?
1) Madison argued people are self-interested, putting their needs above the nation "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."
*Antifederalists* 1) View of proposed Constitution 2)Proponents of... 3) Concerned about... 4) Supporters included... 5) Document?
1) Opponents 2) Stronger state governments 3) Oppression of the rights of the states and the people 4) More people in rural areas, more farmers and shopkeepers --> fewer well-known supporters, but leadership included educated elites, Revolutionary War heroes, and convention delegates --> Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and George Clinton 5) Brutus No.1
*Antifederalists* 1) What did they oppose and called for? 2) How did they try to influence people? 3) Who were in this group?
1) Opposed to the proposed Constitution, who called for stronger state governments 2) Played on the fears that a change in government would bring -->The Constitution would trample over people's and states' rights 3) Mistrusted powerful elites; mostly rural backgrounds
*Federalists* 1) View of proposed Constitution 2)Proponents of... 3) Concerned about... 4) Supporters included... 5) Documents?
1) Supporters 2) A strong national government 3) The tyranny of the majority 4) --> More wealthy merchants and southern plantation owners --> George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay 5) Federalist No. 10 and 51.
*Federalists* 1) Who were in this group? 2) What did they point out? 3) Main people? 4) Published what and why? Who were under the name "Publius"? Year of New York newspapers?
1) Supporters of the proposed Constitution, who called for a strong national government 2)Pointed to the problems under the Articles of Confederation 3) George Washington and Benjamin Franklin 4) Published Federalist Papers to sell the Constitution to the public and push delegates to ratify --->Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay under name "Publius" --->1787 New York newspapers
*Ratification Debates* 1) What was the fate of the Constitution based on? 2) Why were some delegated afraid to ratify the new Constitution? 3) _____ and ____ emerged. What were they divided over?
1) The fate of the Constitution was based on state ratifying conventions 2)Some feared too much concentration of power in a central government, and even more so the possibility of tyranny that undermined state authority 3) Federalists and Antifederalist emerged a) the feasibility of republican government in a large republic b) the relative power of states and the national government c) the lack of a bill of rights in the Constitution
*Federalist Papers-No. 10* 1) Who was it written by? 2) Advocated for... 3) What did they fear? Why can't they eliminate it? What's a natural check?
1) Written by Madison 2) Advocated for a large constitutional republic 3) Feared danger of *faction*, group of self-interested individuals who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process --->Can't eliminate cause of factions - that would suppress liberty --->Natural check is a large and diverse republic - control the effect with more people, more opinions
*Antifederalist Papers-Brutus No. 1* 1) Suspicion of... 2) The country is... and the Constitution gave too much... 3) What is Excess of Power? 4) All would render the states_____ 5) Who will not voluntarily give up power?
1) power 2) The country is too large to be governed as a republic and the Constitution gave too much power to the national government 3) power to tax, necessary and proper clause, supremacy clause, federal judiciary, military control (destruction of liberty and prevalence of tyranny) 4) useless 5) Representatives
Which statement BEST reflects the argument made in Brutus No. 1 regarding the power of state governments?
Any power retained by the states will be seen as a clog and additional power will be removed from the states and the federal government will grow stronger.
How does a republican form of government lessen the dangers of large factions?
By allowing people to vote directly for laws that are in their own interests.
Jane is reading a Federalist Paper that describes the problem of factions and how the dangers of such groups can be mitigated with a large republic and a republican government. Which of the Federalist Papers is Jane reading?
Federalist No. 10
Heather is a political scientist who has thoroughly studied the Federalist Papers, and believes that the most important Federalist is one in which separation of powers and tyranny are discussed. Which Federalist is Heather talking about?
Federalist No. 51
Which is an issue that divided the Federalists and the Antifederalists?
How a republic would be successful in such a large nation.
According to Madison, how does bicameralism further prevent the possibility of tyranny in a republic?
Not all the legislative power is concentrated in one chamber.
If a faction of majority is widespread throughout one state, a large _______ prevents the interests of that faction from spreading throughout the nation.
Republic
*Federalist No.10* What are factions?
Self-interest groups that would harm the community. They are sown into the nature of humankind. To abolish them would abolish liberty. Factions should be set against each other to prevent any one faction from becoming too powerful. A large republic protects against the dangers of faction. Republican government is a remedy for the dangers of faction.
Why did the founding fathers generally mistrust pure democracy?
State legislatures based on pure democracy had trampled on the rights of the minority.
What statement describes a criticism of the Constitution with regards to the motives of the founding fathers?
The Constitution allowed the founding fathers to increase personal wealth.
Choose the position that best achieves the goals of the founding fathers of ensuring a stable government. Defend your position with relevant evidence or reasoning with the foundation documents.
The goals of the founding fathers were to create a republican form of government based on compromise so that no one group can obtain too much power. In the Constitution, the founding fathers created a bicameral legislature and a three branch government which prevents each other from becoming too powerful by the Checks and Balances. Also, in the Constitution in states what each branch of does and lists powers denied to Congress. Checks and Balances is also stated in Federalist No. 51. Antifederalist might say that the country is too large to have a republic according to Brutus No. 1, but in Federalist No. 51 it states that to avoid tyranny there are separation of powers and in Federalist No. 10, it explains that to avoid factions a large republic is necessary.
Why did James Madison decide to campaign with the promise of adding a bill of rights during the later part of the ratification campaign?
The possibility of New York and Virginia not ratifying and the country splitting was too real and adding a bill of rights was a sure way of preventing that.
What key concept was crucial to defending against the dangers of tyranny, according to James Madison?
a federal system with separation of powers
In a tyranny of the minority:
a small number of citizens tramples on the rights of the larger population.
Who would MOST likely be a supporter of the proposed Constitution?
a wealthy merchant
Federalist No. 51
an essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny.
Federalist No. 10
an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government.
According to Brutus No. 1, the tendency of men to increase their power and authority is rooted in:
human nature