We think today’s political climate is contentious, but what about the Constitutional debates prior to adopting and ratifying our U.S. Constitution? At stake was whether we would have a national government or a loose confederation of states. The Birth of American Government: A Story o f Dialogue and Debate Each side had pros and cons. An agreement on how our nation would operate had to be reached. Compromise was the answer, but reaching an acceptable conclusion that benefited both sides proved challenging. We can learn something from these first U.S. citizens and leaders. Why the Founders Valued Civil Disagreement As in any disagreement, these eighteenth-century citizens took sides. On one side were the Federalists. The Anti-Federalists represented the other side. The Federalists wanted a strong national government. The Anti-Federalists wanted strong states and a limited central government. No one wanted to return to a monarchy that gave one person all the power over …
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