Federalism Pros And Cons

After reading the Federalist Papers, specifically number 10 and 51, it is my belief that the Federalists believed that a strong, centralized government would “break and control the violence of factions” (10). Madison defined faction as a number of citizens that were united and acted under a common impulse or interest; he stated that factions needed to be checked because they are often able to bypass the rules and interests of the minority in order to achieve what the majority wants (10). He believed that there were two ways to remove factions: first, remove liberty from society; second, make sure that everyone in society shared the same opinion. Madison believed both of these were not “folly;” however, the proposed Constitution largely diminished
Also, it depends on what my life is like in 1787; am I doing well under the Articles of Confederation or am I struggling. If I am doing well, I am more than likely not going to want to change; change is scary for someone in a good position. However, if my life is a struggle, I am more than likely going to be up for a change because “what could it hurt.” Nevertheless, with the knowledge and attitudes I possess toward government today, I feel like I identify more with the Federalists. Their arguments for a strong, centralized government with separate branches that check one another ensured me that a despotic government would not be created with this system. I do identify with the worry the Anti-Federalists possessed about the clashing of opinions due to the large, diverse population of people it would rule; however, the benefits of strong, central government outweigh that worry. It would eliminate the competition among states, promote interstate commerce, and give the United States more power as one rather than many. Overall, the system that was created would counteract ambition with ambition, and I believe it will be more beneficial than keeping what they currently have under the Articles of