THE GREAT DEBATE Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution

Great battles were fought back in 1787 and 1788 that oddly mimic the debates going on today between liberal and conservative. The Federalists were arguing for a strong central government and a separation of power into three branches with a system of checks and balances. The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, preferred a weak central government with the power left in the states and the people. Professor Pangle's delivery is methodical and precise but grows impassioned as the debates become more heated. Quoting widely from the source documents, he deftly examines the historical underpinnings of each argument and the disputes that ensued, culminating in the compromise of the Bill of Rights, which was to settle the matter. Given today's battles, however, one wonders if it did. P.E.F. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]