Disposed to Seek Their True Interests: Representation and Responsibility in Anti-Federalist Thought

Abstract

Conventional wisdom holds that the Anti-Federalists wanted representative bodies to mirror the electorate, and that the Federalists envisioned representation as a device for refining and enlarging popular views. This characterization is accurate in a broad sense, but it overlooks an important element in Anti-Federalist thought. I argue that certain key Anti-Federalists, in particular the Federal Farmer and Melancton Smith, synthesized the “mirroring” ideal and the “refining” ideal into a theory of representation that incorporated the best features of each system. This hybrid theory, though overwhelmed in the ratification debates of 1787–88, nevertheless provides a creative alternative model for effective national union.

Governing With One Hand on the Plow

“…Herbert Storing (1985) referred to Federal Farmer’s letters as “generally and correctly considered to be one of the ablest Anti-Federalist voices” (p. 23). Webking (1987) considered the works of Federal Farmer to be “among the most important published by the Antifederalists in the contest over ratification of the Constitution.” p. 510 Joel Johnson (2004) argued that Federal Farmer’s views on representation were much more complex and significant than recent scholarship has credited it with being. He wrote,Conventional wisdom holds that the Anti-federalists wanted representative bodies to mirror the electorate, and the Federalists envisioned representation as a device for enlarging and defining popular views.…”