U.S People Government Power Constitution Federal Feared States

"Anti-Federalism" was a "movement" (the efforts of many people to change society in some way) in the late 1700s that "opposed" (disliked; went against) having a strong "federal" (national; not at the level of the states) government. Anti-Federalists feared that states were giving up too much power and control, and they feared that the U.S. President would have too much power, "potentially" (possibly) becoming more like a king than the leader of a democratic country.

The "Articles of Confederation" were the "predecessor to" (what came before something else) the U.S. "Constitution" (the most important legal document in the United States). Created in 1777, the Articles of Confederation gave a lot of power to the states and described a weak federal government. Many people recognized that the federal government would need to have more power, and they supported creation of the U.S. Constitution; these people became known as Federalists. Other people who continued to support the Articles of Confederation became known as Anti-Federalists.

Although the U.S. Constitution is "well established" (nobody questions its relevancy or impact) as the basis of the U.S. government, some people still oppose it. Like the Anti-Federalists, they believe that the Constitution gives too much power to the federal government. They also believe that the Constitution and the U.S. government "impinge upon" (harms; has a negative effect on) their "personal liberties" (freedom to do certain things in one's personal life). They would like to see the Constitution be "amended" (changed) to give more power to state and local governments.