Federalists, the Antifederalists, and the American Political Tradition

In analyzing the debates between the Federalists and the Antifederalists, McWilliams, Gibbons, and their contributors break sharply with those who interpret the founding of America as either the work of pure pragmatists or as the institutionalization of class interests. This study of the very nature of modern representative democracy explains past and present dilemmas and contradictions in terms of differing Federalist and Antifederalist views. Students and scholars interested in political theory and American government and history will find this discussion of our political traditions a fascinating one that provokes thought about possible opportunities for political renewal and democratic change.

This examination of the political theory of the American founding deals with often-opposing beliefs about pluralist interests and political compromise, human nature, what constitutes the public good and the public sphere, the relationship between polity and economy, the role of religion in politics, and our political tradition in general. The study presents different points of view held by America's founders and considers other interpretations and ideas of Machiavelli, Spinoza, Hobbes, Montesquieu, James Wilson, and Woodrow Wilson, among others.

WILSON CAREY McWILLIAMS is Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University. He is the author of The Idea of Fraternity in America and numerous articles on political theory and American politics. McWilliams was the director of the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar from which most of these essays evolved.

MICHAEL T. GIBBONS is Associate Professor of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He is the editor of Interpreting Politics. Among his current research interests is the debate between the Federalists and the Antifederalists over the nature of the public sphere.