Question

"all men having power ought to be mistrusted."—James Madison

Imagine you are a representative of a state legislature meeting, debating the proposed constitution. you have just read this quote in a newspaper essay. which of the following is the best description of how you would respond?
a. if you were a federalist, you would use the quote to support your argument that a single, centralized government is the best form of government.
b. if you were an anti-federalist, you would use the quote to support your argument that a confederation of sovereign states is the best form of government.
c. if you were a federalist, you would use the quote to support your argument that the existing constitution is not enough of a safeguard against abuse of power.
d. if you were an anti-federalist, you would use the quote to support your argument that only a pure democracy of local governments is the best government.

Answer 1

b. if you were an anti-federalist, you would use the quote to support your argument that a confederation of sovereign states is the best form of government.

Step-by-step explanation:

Anti-federalists were those who opposed the ratification of the Constitution. Anti-federalists believed that the Constitution gave too much power to the centralized, federal government. They were worried about the fact that such a centralized government might be able to hold too much power, weakening the autonomy of the states. They would most likely agree with this statement, as the statement says that those who hold power should always be mistrusted.