federalist
A federalist presents an argument for a strong central government during a public meeting.
- Noun:
- An advocate of federalism: A person who supports the principle of federalism, which is a system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units (like states or provinces).
- A member of a former U.S. political party: A member of the Federalist Party, an early American political party that existed from the 1790s to the 1820s, which favored a strong centralized federal government, a national bank, and close ties with Britain.
- Noun:
- As a staunch federalist, she argued for a balance of power between the national and state governments.
- Alexander Hamilton was a leading Federalist and authored many of the Federalist Papers.
"Federalist principles": The core ideas associated with federalism, such as divided sovereignty and a strong central government for national matters.
- The constitution was designed with clear federalist principles in mind.
"The Federalist Papers": A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
- Students of American history often study The Federalist Papers to understand the arguments for the Constitution.
Federalism (n): The political system or principle of federal union.
- The debate over federalism continues to shape American politics.
Federal (adj): Pertaining to the central government of a federation.
- The federal budget is set by Congress.
Anti-federalist (n): A person who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and favored stronger state governments.
- The Anti-federalists were concerned about the potential for tyranny in a strong central government.
- Centralist: An advocate of centralization of power (though this can imply a stronger central authority than federalism typically allows).
- Unionist: A supporter of political union, especially of the American Union during the Civil War era (context-specific).
- "Federalist era": The period in U.S. history (roughly 1789-1801) when the Federalist Party was dominant.
- The Federalist era saw the establishment of many key national institutions.
- "A Federalist at heart": Someone who fundamentally believes in the principles of federalism.
- Though he served as a state governor, he was always a Federalist at heart.
A federalist presents an argument for a strong central government during a public meeting.
- an advocate of federalism
- a member of a former political party in the United States that favored a strong centralized federal government