Federalists

Supporters of ratifying the Constitution drafted in 1787, who argued for a stronger national government with power divided among three branches. Their best-known writings are The Federalist Papers, 85 essays published under the pseudonym ‘Publius’ by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

Example: Federalist No. 51 (Madison) argued that ‘ambition must be made to counteract ambition’ — the checks-and-balances reasoning the Convention adopted when it separated legislative, executive, and judicial powers.

Common misconception: Federalists wanted an all-powerful central government. They supported a federal system in which the states kept substantial powers, while Anti-Federalists feared even that level of national authority.

Sources: Library of Congress, research guide: The Federalist Papers, https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers; Library of Congress, Primary Documents in American History: The Federalist Papers, https://www.loc.gov/collections/selected-heritage-documents/; No single .gov glossary defines the political factions; the Library of Congress is the official source used.