State
How did Alexander Hamilton feel about the idea of a strong State Government?
Hamilton did not like the idea. He felt that having a stronger State Government than Federal Government would cause disunity among the new nation because the States would end up only looking out for themselves.
Why did Hamilton believe that a strong Federal government was the key to a strong nation?
Hamilton thought that the country should be run by those with the most power and wealth because they were the best equipped and most invested to make the wisest decisions concerning the country as a whole.
How would each of these men feel about the regulation of marijuana? Who would they say should have the right to create laws around it?
Hamilton: The federal government should have the right to create laws regarding marijuana.
Jefferson: The state government should have the right to create laws regarding marijuana.
How did Hamilton's upbringing affect his views on federal vs. state government?
Hamilton grew up poor and had to work his way to the top. He had to learn skills and economics in order to prosper in America which made him an expert. His expertise and how it came about convinced him that men in his position were better equipped to make decisions regarding national matters.
Today, the state government has the right to regulate abortion. Why would Jefferson be in favor of this sort of regulation?
Thomas Jefferson would have been in favor of this because Jefferson knew that different states held different beliefs. As a Virginian, he wouldn't want someone from New York to be making laws for his hometown when they knew nothing about it.
Why did Jefferson believe that a strong Federal government was a bad idea?
Jefferson believed that the people should be the ones running the country, not simply those with wealth and power. He did not believe that the wealthy and powerful would have the best interest of the country at heart as much as they would have their own best interest at heart. To Jefferson, big government was the onset of tyranny.
How did both Jefferson and Hamilton feel about creating a National Bank from the perspective of State and Federal government?
Hamilton believed that a national bank should be created to boost the economy for the whole country by establishing credit.
Jefferson believed that a national bank would put states in debt who had already paid off their debts. It seemed greivous to him that states should take on the debts of other states to further benefit the wealthy and powerful.
How did Jefferson's upbringing affect his view on federal vs. state government?
Jefferson grew up on a plantation, where his wealth stemmed from his family's land and agriculture. To him, the people best equipped to make decisions for the people who lived like him were in fact, the people who lived like him. The wealthy and powerful in New York had little concern or idea of what was happening in Virginia, therefore, how could they be trusted to make decisions for farmers and laymen?