Question

Which Anti-Federalist argument is Samuel Bryan making in the excerpt from The Anti-Federalist Papers?

Answer 1

The Anti-Federalist argument that Samuel Bryan is making in the excerpt from The Anti-Federalist Papers is that a strong central government will become oppressive to the people and needs limitations, such as a Bill of Rights.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an excerpt from The Anti-Federalist Papers, Samuel Bryan, writing under the pseudonym 'Centinel,' makes the Anti-Federalist argument that a strong central government will become oppressive to the people and needs limitations, such as a Bill of Rights. Bryan argues that the powers granted to the general government by the Constitution are as complete as those of any state government and that the exercise of power should be restrained within proper limits.

Answer 2

The Anti-Federalists proved unable to stop the ratification of the US Constitution, which took effect in 1789. Since then, the essays they wrote have largely fallen into obscurity. Unlike, for example, The Federalist No. 10 written by James Madison, none of their works are mainstays in college curricula or court rulings. The influence of their writing, however, can be seen to this day – particularly in the nature and shape of the United States Bill of Rights. Federalists (such as Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist 84) vigorously argued against its passage but were in the end forced to compromise. The broader legacy of the Anti-Federalist cause can be seen in the strong suspicion of centralized government held by many Americans to this day.