The Founding Debate: Where Should the Power Over Our Lives Reside?

The Founding Debate is a short guide to one of the most critical debates in American history: where should the power of our lives reside? On one side were the Federalists led by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton who argued that the new powers of the federal government would not ride roughshod over the sovereignty of the states. On the other side were the Anti-Federalists, including Robert Yates and Samuel Bryan, who believed the new federal powers would lead to the eventual abolishment of state legislatures. Which side was right? This book contains the five best arguments by the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, as well as excerpts from the ten U.S. Supreme Court decisions that resulted in the power structure under which we live today. Read the actual words written by our Founding Fathers and decide for yourself.