Anti-Federalists: Down with Central Government! In a system where a central government shares power with smaller units of government, such as states, the term federal refers to the central government. On one side of the Constitution debate, anti-federalists wanted a small central government. They believed local governments best understood what citizens needed and would best protect citizens’ freedom. Anti-federalists opposed parts of the Constitution they thought limited the power of the states. They feared that a strong central government would overpower state governments, and eventually state governments would lose their independence and influence. They also didn’t like that the original Constitution did not guarantee citizens any specific rights. They feared that a central government would become so powerful it would be just like having a king. Federalists: Yay for Central Government! Federalists wanted a strong central government. They believed that a strong central government was necessary if the states were going to band together to form a nation. A strong central government could represent the nation to other countries. It could also control individual states that would not cooperate with the rest. Federalists also believed that a strong central government could best protect individual citizens’ rights and freedoms. Federalists were not afraid of the central government created by the Constitution because it had three branches—the executive, legislative, and judicial—that could limit each other’s power. That way, the central government could not become too powerful.