Financial Plan

Consider how our country's development would have been different if Hamilton's financial plan had been rejected. What if Americans had held to Jefferson's ideal of the virtuous, independent yeoman farmer? Which principles of Jefferson, the founder of the Democratic Republican party, are upheld by Democrats today and which are not? Which principles of Hamilton, the father of the present Republican party, are upheld?

by Republicans, today and which are not? Explain. Has the Federal government become more or less Hamiltonian during the last two centuries?

 In American history the term federalists refers to two instances. in the first case, the term is used to refer to the public figures or statesmen who supported the ratification of the proposed constitution of the united states (1787-1789). it is closely related to the federalist papers (these were a series of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, john jay, and James Madison, that advocated for the ratification of the American constitution).         

In this line the anti-federalists was the distinct counter movement group that was opposed to the creation of a stronger national government under the constitution. This group was in favor of leaving the government under the auspices of the articles of confederation intact. (The article of confederation and perpetual union was the American republics’ first governing document that had been written in 1777.)

            In the second perspective, the term is used to refer to the people or statesmen who were supportive of George Washington's administration (1789-1797) they were later to be called he federalist ‘party’. The federalists were in favor of a system of power where the national power is shared between the national and state governments. This they expected would be met by adopting a system of separation of powers and checks and balances.

             Through the federalist papers especially essay b45 and 46 the federalists explained the form of government they wanted in existence within the United States.  These so-called federalists faced stiff competition from the second group of anti-federalists who were mainly opposed to Alexander Hamilton’s’ (the chief federalist) aggressive fiscal policies of George Washington’s first administration. These anti-federalists were later to form one of the first political parties in United States politics (the democratic-republican ‘party’ of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

            In addition, the federalists argued that the federalist approach helps enshrine the principle of due process by limiting the arbitrary actions of the state. Furthermore, the federalists argued that federalism helps to secure democracy in a democratic state. It also helps improve human rights; this view has come to be enhanced by the contemporary public choice theory.

            On the other side of the field, the anti-federalists were convinced of the fact that a stronger national government would infringe on the sovereignty of the individuals, the localities, as well as the states.