Final answer:
The Federalists were advocates for a strong federal government, focusing on the interests of wealthy individuals to provide stability and benefits for the entire society, and supported a broad interpretation of the Constitution. Option a is the answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The views and preferences of the Federalists in the historical context can be characterized by their advocacy for a robust and powerful federal government. They believed that promoting social stability was essential to preserving liberty, and stability could be achieved by the government promoting the interests of wealthy farmers, merchants, and manufacturers. Federalists thought that the government should serve the interests of the few, as they argued that doing so would benefit the whole society and strengthen the national union. They supported a broad construction of the Constitution, specifically the necessary and proper clause, seeing federally funded internal improvements as a legitimate government function. Federalists were typically well-to-do, being bankers, wealthy planters, and literate individuals who contributed to works like the Federalist Papers, which argued for strong national government advantages.