The Federalist Viewpoint

The Federalist Viewpoint

One of the major aspects of politics is decision making. Politicians play a direct role in our lives by deciding what is best for the majority of the people. The common goal between all politicians is to make as many people happy while still thinking about what is best in the long run. It is impossible to please every single person in this country because we are all very different people. The United States of American is made up of different socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles. They all have their different views and opinions about how this country should be run and by whom. A federalist government would have the ability to make the best decisions possible that benefit society as a whole. No government is completely perfect and void of corruption, but if we ran America based on an Anti-Federalist perspective there would be many more people who would make decisions that would support their economic and political interests over the people.

We are all born with “certain unalienable rights” like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Miroff, Seidelman, and Swanstrom A-1) We are also born with instincts. These instincts scream at us everyday to find joy and security. It can get so loud that some people try to find these things no matter what the cost. They will selfishly try to promote their own interests at the expense of everyone else. “In a small republic where simple majority rule prevailed, nothing would stop this mass from taking away the rights or the property of the minority.”(Miroff, Seidelman, and Swanstrom 6) This is the nature of man. Since the people as a whole are generally fearful and greedy by nature, they will not consider the ethical issues of a situation and continue to act in their best interest. A single person can be intelligent and make rational decisions for the common good, but a huge population wouldn’t be able to make good choices. Large groups of people tend to do whatever the majority says is right. The need to feel lie they belong is a much stronger emotion then the feeling to do the right thing. It can probably be assumed that this country has almost come to serious danger many times. The government most likely never told us because they were afraid of mass panics and riots. After September 11th, one third of the people thought that Arabs should be interned like the Japanese were during World War II. That part of this countries history is a very dark and shameful one. Interning the Arabs is obviously wrong but if it were left up to the people, history would just keep repeating itself. Since the public is driven by both greed and fear, they cannot be trusted to handle critical decisions that would affect the entire country. A single person can put aside any ulterior motives and do what is right for the people. In this country, people with the most money usually get the best education. Logically it makes sense that the smartest people should govern the United States. Since the elites are typically more qualified they would be in control of the government. A major fear about the elites being in control is that things might eventually go back to when there were kings and noblemen who were in charge. Kings and nobles got their positions of power simply by being born into it. With Federalism there wouldn’t be elites who got where they were based on birthright but by being the best qualified for the job. “Elite representatives, likely to be drawn from the wisest and most virtuous segment of society, would rise above selfish conflicts and pursue the common good. Should these elites themselves go astray, other elites would check them through the ingenious constitutional system of checks and balances.”(Miroff, Seidelman, and Swanstrom 6) President George W. Bush see’s himself as a filter for the views and opinions of the American people. Bush ignores the popular view and makes decisions based on what he thinks will be good for the people in the long run. He is an example of an elitist in a major position of power who knows that what the people want and what is actually good for them can be two completely different things.

In order to avoid extreme corruption and the possibility of dictatorship, a federalist type government needs to have a separation of powers. To make sure that one person or group never got too much power, the founding fathers decided to create 3 branches of government. There is the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judiciary. The legislature is the branch of government closest to the people. They are supposed to express the people’s views and interests. The executive is one person who would be seen as a “tangible” part of the government that could be held responsible for actions taken by the government. The judiciary evaluates a law to see if it is compatible with the Constitution. This separation of powers creates checks and balances which limits everyone’s power. “…the president could check the legislature with his veto, the Senate