U.S. Government and Civics / Unit 2: The Constitution
2.2 The Ratification Debate
Notes
The Constitution needed nine of thirteen states to ratify it. Supporters and opponents argued in essays and state conventions.
- Federalists supported a stronger national government. Hamilton, Madison and Jay wrote The Federalist Papers (85 essays).
- Federalist No. 10 (Madison): a large republic controls the effects of factions because so many groups compete that no one faction can dominate.
- Federalist No. 51 (Madison): separation of powers and checks and balances let "ambition... counteract ambition."
- Anti-Federalists (such as Patrick Henry and George Mason) feared a strong central government would threaten liberty and the states. Brutus No. 1 argued a large republic could not represent the people and that the necessary and proper clause and supremacy clause gave Congress too much power.
- The promise to add a Bill of Rights helped win ratification. The Constitution took effect in 1789; the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791.
Practice
In Federalist No. 10, Madison argued that the best way to control factions is to:
A large republic makes it hard for any single faction to gain majority control.
An Anti-Federalist would most likely argue that:
Anti-Federalists feared centralized power and demanded written protections for rights.
"Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." This line from Federalist No. 51 supports:
Each branch uses its powers to resist the others, preventing tyranny.
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