Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Comparison chart
Anti-Federalist Federalist
Introduction In U.S. history, anti-federalists In U.S. history, federalists wanted
were those who opposed the a stronger national government
development of a strong federal and the ratification of the
government and the ratification of Constitution to help properly
the Constitution in 1788, manage the debt and tensions
preferring instead for power to following the American
remain in the hands of state and Revolution.
local governments.
Support The people who supported this These people lived largely in
side largely lived in rural areas. urban areas.
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Anti-Federalist_vs_Federalist 1/6
10/17/2018 Anti-Federalist vs Federalist - Difference and Comparison | Diffen
Anti-Federalist Federalist
Position on Felt that states were free agents Felt that many individual and
Fiscal and that should manage their own different fiscal and monetary
Monetary Policy revenue and spend their money policies led to economic struggles
as they saw fit. and national weakness. Favored
central banking and central
financial policies.
3 Constitution 6 References
However, a more nationalistic identity was the antithesis of some founding political
members' ideals for the developing states. A more centralized American power seemed
reminiscent of the monarchical power of the English crown that had so recently and
controversially been defeated. The potential consequences of centralized fiscal and
monetary policy were especially frightening for some, reminding them of burdensome
and unfair taxation. Anti-federalists were closely tied to rural landowners and farmers
who were conservative and staunchly independent.
The most important parts of this debate were decided in the 1700s and 1800s in U.S.
history, and the Federalist Party dissolved centuries ago, but the battles between
federalist and anti-federalist ideologies continue into the present day in left and right
wing American politics. To better understand the history behind this ongoing ideological
debate, watch the following video from author John Green's U.S. history Crash Course
series.
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Anti-Federalist_vs_Federalist 2/6
10/17/2018 Anti-Federalist vs Federalist - Difference and Comparison | Diffen
The Constitution, the Articles, and Federalism: Crash Course US History #8
Articles of Confederation
Prior to the Constitution, there was the Articles of Confederation, a 13-articled
agreement between the 13 founding states that covered issues of state sovereignty,
(theoretical) equal treatment of citizenry, congressional development and delegation,
international diplomacy, armed forces, fund raising, supermajority lawmaking, the U.S.-
Canadian relationship, and war debt.
The Articles of Confederation was a very weak agreement on which to base a nation—
so weak, in fact, that the document never once refers to the United States of America
as being part of a national government, but rather "a firm league of friendship" between
states. This is where the concept of the "United States"—i.e., a group of roughly and
ideologically united, individually ruling bodies—comes from in the naming of the
country. The Articles of Confederation took years for the 13 states to ratify, with Virginia
being the first to do so in 1777 and Maryland being the last in 1781.
With the Articles of Confederation, Congress became the only form of federal
government, but it was crippled by the fact that it could not fund any of the resolutions it
passed. While it could print money, there was no solid regulation of this money, which
led to swift and deep depreciation. When Congress agreed to a certain rule, it was
primarily up to the states to individually agree to fund it, something they were not
required to do. Though Congress asked for millions of dollars in the 1780s, they
received less than 1.5 million over the course of three years, from 1781 to 1784.
This inefficient and ineffective governance led to economic woes and eventual, if small
scale, rebellion. As George Washington's chief of staff, Alexander Hamilton saw
firsthand the problems caused by a weak federal government, particularly those which
stemmed from a lack of centralized fiscal and monetary policies. With Washington's
approval, Hamilton assembled a group of nationalists at the 1786 Annapolis
Convention (also known as the "Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the
Federal Government"). Here, delegates from several states wrote a report on the
conditions of the federal government and how it needed to be expanded if it was to
survive its domestic turmoil and international threats as a sovereign nation.
Constitution
In 1788, the Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, greatly expanding the
powers of the federal government. With its current 27 amendments, the U.S.
Constitution remains the supreme law of the United States of America, allowing it to
define, protect, and tax its citizenry. Its development and relatively quick ratification was
perhaps just as much the result of widespread dissatisfaction with a weak federal
government as it was support for the constitutional document.
Federalists, those who identified with federalism as part of a movement, were the main
supporters of the Constitution. They were aided by a federalist sentiment that had
gained traction across many factions, uniting political figures. This does not mean there
was no heated debate over the Constitution's drafting, however. The most zealous anti-
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Anti-Federalist_vs_Federalist 3/6
10/17/2018
federalists, loosely headed by Thomas Jefferson,Anti-Federalist
fought againstvsthe
Federalist - Difference and Comparison | Diffen
Constitution's
ratification, particularly those amendments which gave the federal government fiscal
and monetary powers.
A sort of ideological war raged between the two factions, resulting in the Federalist
Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers, a series of essays written by various figures—
some anonymously, some not—for and against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Ultimately, anti-federalists greatly influenced the document, pushing for strict checks
and balances and certain limited political terms that would keep any one branch of the
federal government from holding too much power for too long. The Bill of Rights, the
term used for the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, are especially about
personal, individual rights and freedoms; these were included partly to satisfy anti-
federalists.
"You say that I have been dished up to you as an Anti-Federalist, and ask me if it
be just. My opinion was never worthy enough of notice to merit citing; but, since
you ask it, I will tell it to you. I am not a Federalist, because I never submitted the
whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in
religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of
thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral
agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all.
Therefore, I am not of the party of Federalists." —Thomas Jefferson, Anti-
Federalist
"...that if we are in earnest about giving the Union energy and duration, we must
abandon the vain project of legislating upon the States in their collective
capacities; we must extend the laws of the federal government to the individual
citizens of America; we must discard the fallacious scheme of quotas and
requisitions, as equally impracticable and unjust." —Alexander Hamilton in
Federalist Paper No. 23
"Congress, or our future lords and masters, are to have power to lay and collect
taxes, duties, imposts, and excises. Excise is a new thing in America, and few
country farmers and planters know the meaning of it." —A Farmer and Planter
(pseudonym) in Anti-Federalist Paper No. 26
"It is, that in a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in
person: in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and
agents. A democracy, consequently, must be confined to a small spot. A republic
may be extended over a large region." —James Madison in Federalist Paper No.
14
References
7 quotes from the Federalist Papers - Constitution Center
American Federalism: Past, Present, and Future - Issues of Democracy
Anti-Federalists - U.S. History
Quotes from The Essential Anti-Federalist Papers (PDF) by Bill Bailey
Federalism - U.S. History
Federalists - U.S. History
Thomas Jefferson Exhibition - Library of Congress
Thomas Jefferson on the New Constitution - Encyclopedia Britannica
Wikipedia: Articles of Confederation
Wikipedia: Timeline of drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution
Wikipedia: U.S. Constitution
Wikipedia: United States Bill of Rights#The Anti-Federalists
Wikipedia: Anti-Federalism
Wikipedia: Federalism in the United States
Wikipedia: Federalist#United States
Wikipedia: Federalist Era
Wikipedia: Federalist Party
Related Comparisons
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Anti-Federalist_vs_Federalist 5/6
10/17/2018 Anti-Federalist vs Federalist - Difference and Comparison | Diffen
5 Comments Sort by Newest
Add a comment...
Jacob Suever
its pretty gucci
Like · Reply · 43w
Dru Murphy
this info was ok
Like · Reply · 44w
Cassandra Huff
m kkkmm
Like · Reply · 51w
Miguel Villeda
i was kidding
Like · Reply · 1y
Miguel Villeda
you suck
Like · Reply · 1y
About Diffen
© All rights reserved.
How to Cite
Log in / Register Terms of use | Privacy policy
Request a Comparison
Submit Feedback
Stay connected
https://www.diffen.com/difference/Anti-Federalist_vs_Federalist 6/6