The articles of confederation caused problems. Had no judicial branch nor executive branch. Weak in central government, had no power to tax, no power to regulate trade, no power to coin money and back it up with previous standard, and no money to raise an army or navy.

The Anti-Federalists found many problems in the Constitution. They argued that the document would give the country an entirely new form of government. They saw no sense in throwing out the existing government. Instead, they believed that the Federalists had over-stated the current problems of the country.
The Anti-Federalists feared that the Constitution gave the president too much power and that the proposed Congress would be too higher-class in nature; with too few representatives for too many people. They also criticized the Constitution for its lack of a Bill of Rights. The Anti-Federalists also shared the feeling that so large a country as the United States could not possibly be controlled by one national government. Although the Anti-Federalists were united in their opposition to the Constitution, they did not agree on what form of government made the best alternative to it. Some still believed that the Articles of Confederation could be amended in such a way that they would provide a workable confederation. Some wanted the Union to break up and re-form into three or four different confederations. Others were even ready to accept the Constitution if it were amended in such a way that the rights of citizens and states would be more fully protected.

The Federalists focused their arguments on the lack of the quality in national government under the Articles of Confederation and on the benefits of national government as formed by the Constitution. They were also much more favorably disposed toward importing and exporting than were the Anti-Federalists, and they argued that a strong central