Federalists Vs. Anti-Federalists

Federalism vs. Anti-Federalism

The United States was not always governed by us Americans. For a long time, the United States were governed by Great Britain. In the late 1700s, the American colonies decided it was time for Britain to leave them alone. But there was a problem. With no one to govern them, they needed to make their own government. Thus, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists were born. These two sides emerged with and split the newly independent America. Which side was which? What were the objectives and ideas of both sides?

The Federalists want unity among the several states that make up America. Federalists believe that, without unity, the states can not function. According to the Federalists, every state needs to have equal power and equal safety. They believe that there should be constant communication between state government and federal government. Without the constant communication, they believe that the states will crumble from the inside out. They believe that everyone should be involved in the government, and that everyone has an equal say in governmental matters. The Federalists also think that there should be one big standing army. Because they were a new nation, Britain or anyone else could attack them.

The Anti-Federalists are a little bit different. They believe that only the elite should govern America. Who the Anti-Federalists consider to be "elite" are aristocrats, people with a lot of money, a lot of power, or any combination of both. Most Anti-Federalists are aristocrats, and have been for their entire lives. They believe that, because they have money and power, they have learned to make better, more balanced, and more responsible decisions for themselves and everyone around them. The common people don't have power or a lot of money, therefore they don't know how to make a reliable decision. They also believe that the federal government shouldn't be as prominent, and that states should have their own governments and armies that communicate with all the other states' governments.

The Federalists and Anti-Federalists are extremely different. They both have their own opinions on how the United States should be governed. When it comes down to fundamentals, the Feds and Anti-Feds are almost complete opposites. The Feds think that everyone should have an equal opportunity to be in the government, while the Anti-Feds think that only society's finest should be involved.