Compare And Contrast The Articles Of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation that had been drafted in 1777 gave the majority of power to the states. The National government was weak and unable to sustain itself. It did not even possess the ability to resolve differences between state legislature and interstate commerce. When the Articles of Confederation were written those that drafted it purposely gave majority power to the states as they feared a powerful central government. The problem was by severely limiting the central government’s power they were not able to create the union in which they had intended. Instead they had created a number of small self-ruled countries. America was in need of a refined plan of governance.
The Federalists attempted to reconcile the shortcomings
found in the articles of confederation while still addressing the fears of a powerful central government. The task of creating a strong, long lasting government that had the power to hold the union together, resolve differences between states, and at the same time preserve individual state sovereignty was not an easy task. The Federalists believed they had overcome the pitfalls that plagued the Article of Confederation with the United State Constitution. The Constitution, they believed, addressed the issues of interstate and foreign commerce, as well as the fear of a strong central government. Upon completion of the Constitution the Federalists called for its unaltered ratification.
The Federalists, made up of mostly the elite class, believed that a stronger federal government was needed to protect the liberty and independence they fought for in the Revolutionary war. Their stance, portrayed to the people, was that the United States needed a strong central government to be able to effectively negotiate foreign affairs. This was true as with the Articles of Confederation foreign traders needed to negotiate trade agreements with each state independently making foreign trade difficult. They also addressed fears, held by many, of a strong federal government by creating a separation of powers and utilizing checks and balances so that no one branch of the government could have too much power. They asserted that with the division of power between federal and state government would defend against tyranny and abuse of power because a larger republic consisting of many different groups would cancel each other out preventing corruption.
The Federalists attempted to reconcile the shortcomings
found in the articles of confederation while still addressing the fears of a powerful central government. The task of creating a strong, long lasting government that had the power to hold the union together, resolve differences between states, and at the same time preserve individual state sovereignty was not an easy task. The Federalists believed they had overcome the pitfalls that plagued the Article of Confederation with the United State Constitution. The Constitution, they believed, addressed the issues of interstate and foreign commerce, as well as the fear of a strong central government. Upon completion of the Constitution the Federalists called for its unaltered ratification.
The Federalists, made up of mostly the elite class, believed that a stronger federal government was needed to protect the liberty and independence they fought for in the Revolutionary war. Their stance, portrayed to the people, was that the United States needed a strong central government to be able to effectively negotiate foreign affairs. This was true as with the Articles of Confederation foreign traders needed to negotiate trade agreements with each state independently making foreign trade difficult. They also addressed fears, held by many, of a strong federal government by creating a separation of powers and utilizing checks and balances so that no one branch of the government could have too much power. They asserted that with the division of power between federal and state government would defend against tyranny and abuse of power because a larger republic consisting of many different groups would cancel each other out preventing corruption.