Read each quotation and determine whether it represents a Federalist or Anti-Federalist perspective.
A bill of rights is unnecessary because power not delegated to the government is kept by the people.
Federalist
This quotation represents the Federalist perspective.
To determine whether this quotation represents a Federalist or Anti-Federalist perspective, we need to understand the key beliefs and arguments put forth by both groups during the debate over the ratification of the United States Constitution.
The Federalists were advocates of the Constitution who argued in favor of a strong central government and the ratification of the Constitution as it stood without the addition of a bill of rights. They believed that the powers granted to the government were clearly stated within the Constitution, and there was no need for a specific enumeration of individual rights.
On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists were a group of individuals who opposed the ratification of the Constitution unless it included a bill of rights. They feared that without explicit protections for individual liberties, the central government would become tyrannical and infringe upon the rights of its citizens.
Now, looking at the quotation "A bill of rights is unnecessary because power not delegated to the government is kept by the people," we can conclude that it represents a Federalist perspective. This statement reflects the Federalists' argument that the Constitution already outlined the limits of government power and it was unnecessary to explicitly state individual rights, as any powers not granted to the government were inherently retained by the people.