Final answer:
The Democratic-Republican Party, which supported popular sovereignty, states' rights, and limited government, was the early political party that stood in contrast to the Federalists who favored a strong central government.
Step-by-step explanation:
The early political party that favored popular sovereignty, states' rights, and limited government was the Democratic-Republican Party. During the presidencies of George Washington and John Adams, the Federalists, who preferred a strong central government, clashed with the Democratic-Republicans, who advocated for a more limited government. The Democratic-Republicans championed the principles of state sovereignty and feared that too much power within the central government would lead to corruption and the trampling of individual rights. This was in direct opposition to the Federalists, who believed in a stronger national government that could foster economic prosperity and stability for the republic.
The Democratic-Republican Party, sometimes labelled just as 'Republicans' to distinguish from the modern Republican Party, envisioned a republic that was reflective of the agrarian society and that emphasized virtuous living and the common good, primarily supported by farmers and the rural populace.