anti-federalist
Opposed strong centralization
An anti-federalist opposed the ratification of the U.S.
Constitution in 1787–88, favoring stronger state governments and fearing centralized federal power.
The Anti-Federalists pushed for the Bill of Rights as a condition of ratification.
Today the term sometimes describes anyone skeptical of expanding federal authority: He's an anti-federalist when it comes to education policy.
Provincial governmental autonomy
- local governanceCommunity-level administration system
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- devolutionTransferring power locally
home rule · subsidiarity · reserved powers · state legislatures · localism · Tenth Amendment · regional autonomy · self-governance
- Samuel AdamsBoston revolutionary leader
- Constitutional ConventionDocument-drafting assembly of founders
- Bill of RightsInitial constitutional amendments guaranteeing freedoms
- founding eraTime of original establishment
Initial constitutional amendments guaranteeing freedoms
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
- individual rightsFreedoms held by persons
- freedom of pressRight to publish uncensored
- religious freedomRight to practice faith
trial by jury · habeas corpus · due process · popular sovereignty · consent of governed · natural rights · freedom of assembly · personal freedom
Disagreement with authority
- minority factionSmaller bloc within organization
- objectionsExpressions of disapproval
- counterargumentsResponses challenging a position
- convention delegatesAppointed meeting representatives
Authority held by few
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- standing armiesPermanently maintained military forces
- presidential powerHead of state's formal authority
- commercial interestsProfit-seeking motivations
states' rights
Provincial governmental autonomy
- local governanceCommunity-level administration system
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
devolution · home rule · subsidiarity · reserved powers · state legislatures · localism · Tenth Amendment · regional autonomy · self-governance
Patrick Henry
- Samuel AdamsBoston revolutionary leader
- Constitutional ConventionDocument-drafting assembly of founders
- Bill of RightsInitial constitutional amendments guaranteeing freedoms
Bill of Rights
Initial constitutional amendments guaranteeing freedoms
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
- individual rightsFreedoms held by persons
- freedom of pressRight to publish uncensored
religious freedom · trial by jury · habeas corpus · due process · popular sovereignty · consent of governed · natural rights · freedom of assembly · personal freedom · limited government
dissent
Disagreement with authority
- minority factionSmaller bloc within organization
- objectionsExpressions of disapproval
- counterargumentsResponses challenging a position
centralized power
Authority held by few
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- standing armiesPermanently maintained military forces
- presidential powerHead of state's formal authority
- constitutionsbill of rights, constitutional amendment, constitutional reform, clause, clauses
- EuroscepticismBrexit, Euroscepticism, euroskeptic, UKIP, Brexiteer
anti-federalistfederalist
Advocate for distributed governance
Federalist · federalism · centralist · nationalist · unionist
federal, federalism, federation, confederate, confederation, federally, federalist, federalists, confederates