Final answer:
The Anti-Federalists wanted to restrict the Federal government to the powers specifically delegated by the Constitution, such as management of foreign affairs, coining money, and conducting war, fearing that the elastic clause would lead to an overreach of power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Anti-Federalists' Views on Federal Government Powers
The Anti-Federalists were concerned with maintaining a balance of power between the states and the national government. They sought to limit the Federal government strictly to the powers the Constitution delegated to it, which included the management of foreign affairs, coining money, and acts of war. The Anti-Federalists feared that the so-called elastic clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution would allow Congress to legislate on matters beyond those intended by the founders, thereby infringing upon individual and state rights. This is why they advocated for a Bill of Rights, to specifically outline and protect the rights of the people and the states.
As established in the Constitution, the national government has certain powers denied to the states—such as coining money and conducting foreign diplomacy. Conversely, the Tenth Amendment ensures that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. This is instrumental in understanding the Anti-Federalists' advocacy for reserved powers and suspicion of centralized authority.