President or King? Antifederalist Cato No. 4
Cato was one of the first Antifederalist writers to examine the executive branch. He predicted it would “tend either to the establishment of a vile and arbitrary aristocracy, or monarchy,” with a permanent class of elites ruling from on high. Path to Liberty: March 2,...
Consolidation Leads to Force: Antifederalist Cato No. 3
In his 3rd paper, Cato focuses on the dangers of consolidation, or centralization of power. In support, he relies on both Montesquieu and Locke – warning that a consolidated government would never be able to properly represent the views of people in different...
Hamilton’s Dictatorship: Antifederalist Cato No. 2
In response to the first published antifederalist paper from Cato, Alexander Hamilton (likely) launched a scatching attack. Writing as Caesar, he suggests opponents should “take it as it is and be thankful,” and even implies that the choice is Washington...