Wednesday, January 7, 2009

We The People Sixteen

P.S.-Give me another 30 minutes or so to do 17!! Thanks:)

Question and Answer:

1. What objections and concerns did Anti-Federalists have with regard to Constitution drafted at the Philadelphia Convention?

· The Anti-Federalists feared the Constitution would create a government that could not be controlled. They also had three basic questions about the new government: would the new constitution maintain a republican form of government, would the federal government have to much power, and was a bill of rights needed in the Constitution? Mercy Otis Warren wrote about what she thought were the flaws of the Constitution, which were: it should have bee developed in public meetings, it would undermine a republican form of government, it gave too much power to the national government at the expense of the state governments, it gave too much power to the executive branch, it gave Congress too much power through “the necessary and proper clause”, it did not adequately separate the powers of the executive and legislative branches, it allowed the national government to keep an army during peacetime, ad it did not include a bill of rights.

2. What arguments did the Anti-Federalists make with regard to the need for a bill of rights?

· 5 Reasons: 1. The way the government is set up ones not adequately protect rights because citizens are only given leave to directly elect house Representatives, and thus the federal government is too far removed from the people 2. The federal government’s powers are so vague that they are given almost unlimited power through the “necessary and proper” clause, which could allow the government to infringe on citizens 3. There is nothing in the Constitution to stop government from violating all rights not mentioned in the Constitution, including SPRAP (speech,press,religion,assembly,petition) 4. A bill of rights would create confidence in the American people as far as the security of their rights because these are the same people that have just fought for their fundamental rights against Britain 5. Lastly, the bill of rights reminds us what it is that freedom in our country depends upon.

3. How did the Anti-Federalists use the ideas of classical republicanism to support their position?

· The Anti-federalists used ideas of classical republicanism through arguing for smaller state and local governments. They felt that by having those in their communities represent them, the government would be more relatable to the people. AF’s also argued that small agrarian communities were more likely to have civic virtue, in which individuals set aside personal interests for the common good.