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Difficulty: MediumThe Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

Read the following excerpt from a political essay written in 1788:

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce... The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State."

Which of the following arguments from opponents of the Constitution does the author of the excerpt directly attempt to counter?

  1. The fear that the federal government would centralize authority and eliminate the sovereignty of state governmentsAnswer
  2. B
    The belief that the Articles of Confederation had established a national executive branch with too much power
  3. C
    The argument that the federal government lacked the constitutional authority to create a national bank to pay off war debts
  4. D
    The demand that the federal government immediately repeal colonial-era British taxation acts

Answer

The fear that the federal government would centralize authority and eliminate the sovereignty of state governments
The correct answer is the option focusing on the centralization of federal power. James Madison, writing as Publius in Federalist No. 45, explicitly addresses concerns that the Constitution would consolidate power and render state governments obsolete. He reassures readers that the states retain extensive, essential domestic powers, directly countering the Anti-Federalist critique that the Constitution would centralize authority and destroy state sovereignty.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and origin of the stimulus.
The text is an excerpt from Federalist No. 45, written by James Madison during the ratification debates in 1788.
Identifying the author and purpose of the text helps determine the historical argument being made.
2
Identify the core argument within the excerpt.
Madison argues that the powers of the federal government are 'few and defined,' while state powers remain 'numerous and indefinite.'
Understanding the text's emphasis on state authority highlights the specific objection it is attempting to refute.
3
Correlate the author's argument with the major concerns of the ratification debates.
Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution would create a consolidated government that would destroy state sovereignty. Madison's argument directly counters this fear.
Matching the Federalist rebuttal to the corresponding Anti-Federalist objection identifies the correct answer.

Key Concept

Federalist and Anti-Federalist Debates on Federalism and State Sovereignty
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

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