When the U.S. Constitution was being crafted, the Federalist Party supported a stronger central government, while "Anti-Federalists" wanted a weaker central government. This is very different from the modern use of "federalism" in Europe and the United States. The U.S. Constitution was written as a reaction to the Articles of Confederation, under which the United States was a loose confederation with a weak central government. However, the modern American usage of the word federalism is now much closer to the European sense. As the power of the Federal government has increased, some people see a much more unitary state than they believe the Founding Fathers
When the U.S. Constitution was being crafted, the Federalist Party supported a stronger central government, while "Anti-Federalists" wanted a weaker central government. This is very different from the modern use of "federalism" in Europe and the United States. The U.S. Constitution was written as a reaction to the Articles of Confederation, under which the United States was a loose confederation with a weak central government. However, the modern American usage of the word federalism is now much closer to the European sense. As the power of the Federal government has increased, some people see a much more unitary state than they believe the Founding Fathers