American national gov1

Please read over the other students' response and then reply to at least one classmate. In your reply identify something you had not previously been aware of or something which challenges you to think differently.

Classmate post-

  There are many differences between the Antifederalist and Federalist in regards to how they believed the government should operate and who should hold those powers within the America. The Federalist played an important role in molding the US Constitution which essentially strengthened national government but perhaps at the expense of the states and its people (The Gilder Lehrman Institute Staff, 2009). The Antifederalists were against the ratification of the constitution but later established the Bill of Rights to help protect the liberties of the people in which the antifederalists believed the constitution violated (The Gilder Lehrman Institute Staff, 2009). The Federalists favored the constitution and believed that it was a sufficient document in protecting individual rights while Antifederalists favored the Articles of Confederation as they preferred more power to the states and not the central government (The Gilder Lehrman Institute Staff, 2009).

       In the film Empire of Reason, the characters enact a scenario in which the Antifederalists and Federalist existed today and what types of challenges we might see without a strong central government. This “world” is an imagining of an America in which there is still 13 colonies and a great divide between the states and a central government with no power to govern over those states. In the film, Mr. Hamilton describes that the states would continue to have border disputes between states while the lawyers say that one government would limit the freedoms of individuals because all Americans are not the same (An Empire of Reason 1988). The Lawyers feel that small, local governments are the only way to stay free while Mr. Hamilton argues that a strong central government would strengthen trade and the country as a whole (An Empire of Reason 1988). The Lawyers would prefer not to ratify The Constitution as it would give “Massive” powers to the central government (An Empire of Reason 1988).  The position that I would feel is most persuasive is the view of the Federalists. I would prefer to sacrifice a small amount of freedom in exchange for protection and unification of the states. I believe if all of the states work together under a centralized government, there would be vast innovation and a stable monetary system in which trade and banking would be simplified.

     Mr. Hamilton was able to talk the federalists into softening on the decision to ratify The Constitution as each state began to sign off and began discussing the amendment of The Constitution starting with a Bill of Rights (An Empire of Reason 1988). Both sides were able to compromise. The federalists remained reluctant to ratify, with concerns included post-Constitutional topics surrounding taxes and potential loss of autonomy (An Empire of Reason 1988).

 

Sources

Staff, G. L. I. (2009). The Gilder Lehrman Institute of american history. Differences between Federalists and Antifederalists | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/teaching-resource/differences-between-federalists-and-antifederalists

 

Icarus Films. (1988). An Empire of Reason. Docuseek. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from https://docuseek2.com/cart/product/743.