Final answer:
John Adams's administration's response to Anti-Federalist fears included support for a strong executive branch, leading to criticism and the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were seen as restrictive and oppressive. This spurred a defense of states' rights through the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
To address Anti-Federalist concerns about a strong federal government potentially becoming corrupt, John Adams' administration took several actions during his presidency from 1797 to 1801. Despite his intention to convey republican simplicity and political unity, Adams supported the notion of a powerful chief executive to mediate disputes and serve the rights of the people. This perception, however, led to Republican criticism that associated his ideas with a desire to reinstate a monarchy in the United States.
The growing crisis with France dominated Adams's administration and exacerbated partisan politics, leading to the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. These acts, designed to allow the president to imprison or deport foreign citizens and to restrict speech critical of the federal government, were perceived as Federalists curbing civil liberties and fueled more fear of a corrupt, strong federal government. In response, Republicans Thomas Jefferson and James Madison authored the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 as an impromptu defense of states' rights, further illustrating the tensions between federal power and individual liberties.