Which faction argued that states already possess Bills of Rights in some form, making a federal Bill of Rights less necessary?

• A. Anti-Federalists
• B. Federalists
• C. Madison
• D. Jefferson

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is understanding how the rights protection was framed across levels of government during the ratification debate. Federalists argued that the new national government would be restrained by its limited, enumerated powers and by the structure of the Constitution, and that states already guard many rights in their own constitutions. Because of this, they claimed a federal Bill of Rights wasn’t necessary and could even be misleading, suggesting that anything not listed wouldn’t be protected. This is why the view that states already possess Bills of Rights aligns with Federalists. Anti-Federalists pushed the opposite position, insisting a federal bill of rights was essential to safeguard liberties against federal overreach. While individuals like Madison and Jefferson played key roles in these debates, the faction that argued for relying on state protections is Federalists.