There is a folk wisdom that connects the American War of Independence’s “no taxation without representation” with today’s skepticism of Washington, DC and centralized power. The Anti-Federalists were a broad coalition, but most Anti-Federalists shared a dislike of a strong centralized government and believed that many small republics would best protect the individual. Some Anti-Federalists argued that without a bill of rights the Constitution would not be able to sufficiently protect the rights of individuals and the states. Even after ratification, some Founders, such as Jefferson, Mason, and Henry, maintained that the Federalists had in fact “betrayed” the “popular Revolutionary Spirit of ’76” and its desire for “general and individual liberty.” However, once the Jefferson-led Democrat-Republicans—primarily made up of and appealing to the old Anti-Federalist coalition—took office they did not seek to abolish, or significantly alter, this new form of governance. Why not? Did the Anti-Federalists plant the seeds, and prefer to nurture the growth of populism in America?
Featuring:

Moderator: The Honorable Lisa Branch, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Prof. Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University
Prof. Michelle Kundmueller, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Old Dominion University
Prof. G. Edward White, David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law