Which faction believed the national government would overpower state powers?

• A. Anti-Federalists
• B. Federalists
• C. Both
• D. Neither

Answer: (B)

During the ratification debates, the worry was whether a strong national government would crowd out state authority. Those who voiced this concern most clearly were the Anti-Federalists. They argued that without explicit limits, Congress and the presidency could overpower state laws and erode state sovereignty, potentially threatening liberties. To counter this risk, they pressed for a Bill of Rights to protect individual and state rights and to keep federal power in check. Federalists, while advocating a stronger central government to unite the states, did not claim that the national government would inevitably overwhelm states; they believed checks and balances and the structure of federalism would prevent tyranny. So the belief that the national government could overpower state powers is associated with the Anti-Federalists.