Confederation: Movement for a Stronger Union

Self-Enforcing Consititutions: With an Application to Democratic Stability in America's First Century

“…Three were critical. First, the national government could not raise its own taxes for such important issues as national defense, instead depending on the states to contribute authorized funds, and many withheld them (Kaplanoff 1991, Middlekauff 1982. As the Federalists wrote in Federalist nos.…”

“…To the Federalists, the remedy was obvious: strengthen the national government so it could provide the much needed public goods (Kaplanoff 1991, Morgan 1977. The Antifederalists blocked these attempts (Middlekauff 1982, ch 23), not because they denied the problems but because they feared the solutions (Rakove 1996, ch 6).…”