Final answer:
The Federalists advocated for a strong centralized government to promote stability and prosperity, whereas the Republican opponents (Democratic-Republicans) favored a more limited federal government to protect states' rights and individual freedoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the 1790s, the visions of the Federalists and their Republican opponents diverged significantly in terms of the role of the federal government. While Federalists like Alexander Hamilton and John Adams believed in a strong centralized government that promoted the interests of the wealthy elite as a way to benefit the whole nation and preserve the people's liberty, their opponents, who became known as Democratic-Republicans, feared that such a government would trample on individual rights and lead to corruption.
The Federalists saw the federal government as a positive agent for change and prosperity and supported broad construction when interpreting the Constitution, with policies like creating a national bank and advocating for federally funded internal improvements. In contrast, the Republicans (Democratic-Republicans) favored a limited central government, prioritizing states' rights, agricultural interests, and fearing the overreach of federal power.
These conflicting views demonstrated a fundamental disagreement on the balance of power between the national government and states, the implementation of economic policies, and the degree of democracy that was appropriate for the nation's stability and growth.