Definition

1. 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.

Examples of Usage

• 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.

Advanced Usage

• "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.

Variants and Related Words

• 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.

Synonyms

• 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).

Related Phrases

• "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.

Related Idioms

• "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.

Noun

1. an advocate of federalism
2. a member of a former political party in the United States that favored a strong centralized federal government