tear of representative government and by convenient partitions and
distributions of power to provide the better for internal justice and
order."

There were proposals to remove power from the states and to vest it in the more
remote national government; this was strongly resisted by anti-Federalists, who
believed that only a government that's close to the people will preserve individual
rights. Local officials were said to be more accountable - because they are more
easily monitored and more readily available.

The anti-Federalists believed that the people can exercise power wisely if their
government is responsive to them. In contrast, the federalists saw the majority as a
constant threat tojndividualnghts. In the twentieth century, we now often think of
minorities as racial or religious groups, which may be threatened by a majority of
another race or religion. However, the framers generally thought of the minority as
,   ,_,   property owners whose rights might be attacked by the masses.

\~^

Madison thought that the majority might easily be swayed by demagogues to act
passionately - but in a way that's against their true interests. For example, they
might lash out against rich property owners by voting to tax or regulate property and