A major Antifederalist objection to the U.S. Constitution was that it:

A major Antifederalist objection to the U.S. Constitution was that it:

• A. Made inadequate provision for the promotion of economic development.
• B. Gave too much power to the national government at the expense of state governments.
• C. Made inadequate provision for the protection of frontier areas.
• D. Gave too much power to the federal judiciary at the expense of Congress.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is the concern over centralizing power in the national government at the expense of state authority. Antifederalists argued that the Constitution would place broad powers in Washington—through things like the taxing ability, commerce regulation, and the elastic clause, plus the supremacy of federal laws—so that state governments would lose their sovereignty and local interests could be overridden. They worried a distant national government could become tyrannical and unresponsive to ordinary people, and they pressed for stronger protections for states and individuals, including a bill of rights. Because this issue centers on who holds power and how it’s limited, it’s the strongest objection: the national government would have too much authority relative to the states.

The main idea is the concern over centralizing power in the national government at the expense of state authority. Antifederalists argued that the Constitution would place broad powers in Washington—through things like the taxing ability, commerce regulation, and the elastic clause, plus the supremacy of federal laws—so that state governments would lose their sovereignty and local interests could be overridden. They worried a distant national government could become tyrannical and unresponsive to ordinary people, and they pressed for stronger protections for states and individuals, including a bill of rights. Because this issue centers on who holds power and how it’s limited, it’s the strongest objection: the national government would have too much authority relative to the states.