Hey all welcome to
Board 8 Elects!
a topic series in which we discuss each historical election from the perspective of the year it took place in!
The idea here is to re-litigate each election from the perspective of when it took place. I will be providing each candidates platform (where possible) so the merits of the election can be discussed and voted on. If possible lets speak of the issues in the present tense.
I am going to ask you vote via
BOLDING
the name of the candidate rather than providing a poll because I feel the poll encourages gut voting and I would really like to see some discussion.
Topics will be live for 3 or 4 days - basically until I make the next topic voting will be active in this one.
I will include 3rd or 4th party candidates only in years where they were major factors - so far that looks to me mostly like an early 19th century phenomenon plus 1912, 1924, 1980, 1992 and 2016 but we can revisit this.
Washington ran unopposed in both the 1788 and 1792 elections so instead we are going to vote for his Congress:
Federalist or Anti-Federalist?
Without further ado allow me to set the scene of the election of 1788 and 1792:
The Issues:
We have just ratified a constitution but the role of the federal government is still very much up for grabs - exactly what form will things like taxation take?
Having just concluded a war with Great Britain and by 1792 our only major European ally (France) now neck deep in the chaos of a burgeoning middle class revolt - how should the United States engage with Europe?
Should the United States have a standing military?
Should there be a Bill of Rights? As of 1788 four states (New York, North Carolina,Vermont and Rhode Island) still have not even ratified the constitution and their major contention is that the constitution gives far too much power to the new federal government and infringes too much on the rights of the individual.
How powerful should the judiciary be? In the light of the patently unfair British judicial system some are skeptical that a strong judiciary has merits and that the legislature should really hold most power to decide law while others see an impartial independent judiciary as a vital check on congressional and presidential power.
The Party Platforms
Anti Federalists
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The Constitution needed a Bill of Rights to protect state and individual liberties.
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The Constitution has created a presidency so powerful that it would become a monarchy.
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The Constitution did too little with the courts and would create an out-of-control judiciary that can rule by fiat.
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The national government located in New York City would be too far away from the people and thus unresponsive to the needs of localities.
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They did not have a single foreign policy but largely were pro-isolationism
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Led by New York Governor George Clinton and famous Virginia patriot Patrick Henry
The Federalists
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Believed a Bill of Rights was wholly unnecessary because the constitution did not give the federal government rights not listed in the document
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Believed in a strong independent judiciary capable of countermanding the president or congress
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Insist the president is actually quite weak given only limited delegated powers in the constitution.
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George Washington is the man. And by association so is Alexander Hamilton.
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Wanted to build an alliance with Great Britain so long as independence could be guaranteed.
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Called for further centralization of power with the federal government - the key to which was a nationalization of debt and creation of a National Bank
So head to the polls! Decide who Washington should listen to!
EASY VOTE FORM
Federalists vs Anti-Federalists