Federalists and Anti-Federalists Federalism – A system of government in which power is constitutionally divided and bounded between a central government and that of the provinces or states. Each level of government has its own powers and obligations to provide services and raise revenue. Unlike Confederations, federal systems give the central authority some control over its citizens, thus endowing them with a certain degree of sovereignty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The difference is simple: one group agrees with federalism while Anti-Federalists do not believe in a federally governed nation with divided regions that have their own rights. The conflict between Federalists and Anti-Federalists is that, the Anti-Federalists believed that the establishment and formation of a national government would lead to a monarchy or aristocracy, the Federalist vision of the country supported the belief that a national government based on the Articles of Confederation was inadequate to support a nation in continuous growth and expansion. After the signing of the Constitution, the next step was ratification by at least nine states. Ratification by the states was by no means a foregone conclusion in 1887. Any state that did not ratify the Constitution would be considered a separate country. Federalists and Anti-Federalists had very different opinions on what kind of government should be formed. The Anti-Federalists consisted primarily of farmers and merchants, ordinary people working to support their families, while the Federalists consisted of wealthy plantation owners and elite businessmen. Three issues aroused great apprehension on the part of the anti-federalists when reading the proposed Constitution: the size of the new nation, the problem of political representation and the disconcerting concentration of government powers. When interpreting the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists believed that because of these crucial issues and the way they were addressed by the new government, their freedom was seriously jeopardized. Their fear and distrust of the new government was focused on the relatively few individuals who, under the new government, would hold the political reins of the nation. For opponents of the Constitution, many signs of potential despotism were visible in the proposed government: the exclusive power to tax, the lack of protection of liberties, the formation of a large military force, the dissolution of state powers and, above all, the concentration of powers in the hands of a few. It is this last question that seemed to concern the Anti-Federalists most, and logically so, because all other powers and laws prescribed by the Constitution were to be interpreted and executed by these men. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Throughout Anti-Federalist writings, one of the recurring themes was the fear that, due to the centralization of power, an oppressive form of government was inevitable, rather than a popular, democratic one soon to follow.