CENTRALIZED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

A Strong and Centralized Federal Government



A Strong and Centralized Federal Government

Should the new America have a strong national government with a centralized authority and commercial economy, or a modest centralized government that should remain on the side of the minority? The minority was rural and agrarian. An issue such as this led Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to the forefront of the Republican Party whole Alexander Hamilton lead the opposing party. The rise of political parties began. When America first declared it's independence from England worry and concern about the countries government was widespread.

In response to the fears, Jefferson, the leader of the Republican Party, gave these comforting words; "The loss by the transportation of commodities across the Atlantic will be made up in happiness and permanence of government (Thomas Jefferson's "Manufactures" Primis pg, 84). Although this "permanence of government" was promised, there was no clear definition of its structure. Political leaders divided into two separate groups: the Federalists (Beauchamp, 2005) and the Republicans in search of the ideal governing arrangement. Though in agreement that the power of the nation should lie in the hands of its people, the Federalists and the Republicans had vastly different ideas concerning the structure of the government; each assembly ranging from centralized, to state controlled, divided administration.

Leading the Federalist group was Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton and his followers sought a strong centralized government in the interest of commerce and industry. In Hamilton's "Report on Manufacturers," he explains by the promotion of manufacturing and commerce the United States could develop into a self-sufficient nation independent of other countries. (Alexander Hamilton's "Report on Manufacturers", Primis pg. 80) Included in his proposal was a plan to pay off the national debt.

By introducing tariffs and assuming the debts of the states brought on the Revolution, the Federal Government would free the United States of financial burden. Further he sponsored the implementation of a federal bank and mint, reasoning that, "The introduction of banks” has a powerful tendency to extend the active capital of a country." (Alexander Hamilton's "Report on Manufacturers, Primis pg. 81) Each individual piece of Hamilton's plan was devised to gain revenue and build a reliable economy. Hamilton's platform for building a strong central government and healthy economy came at a price however. The idea of state and local government was nearly forgone in the federalist principle.

The Federalists envisioned an independent America in which order and stability ruled. Hamilton and his party members were looking to build a strong involved government, where power lied with a set of central leaders chosen by the people. They believed, in a sense, that this left little margin for trouble. The Federalists believed that the selected officials could best serve the country, rather than allowing the population to make decisions on their own. They wanted to build a nation where its people could prosper, without much involvement in government affairs and decisions.

Leading the Republican, or Anti-Federalist, party was Thomas ...