Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers

Argument Against Ratification: Brutus argues against ratifying the Constitution, preferring power to be held locally for a more democratic government.
Necessary and Proper Clause: Brutus opposes the necessary and proper clause, fearing it will grant Congress unlimited power to make any law they deem necessary and proper.
Supremacy Clause: Brutus dislikes the supremacy clause, which states that federal law supersedes state law in cases of conflict. He believes this undermines the power of state governments.
Power to Tax: Brutus considers the power to tax as a tool for tyranny, enabling Congress to oppress citizens and undermine state governments.
Standing Armies: Brutus expresses concern over the president's control of a standing army, fearing it could lead to the destruction of individual liberties.
Prediction: Brutus predicts that the federal government will eventually eliminate state governments through the supremacy clause, the power to tax, and standing armies.
Solution: Brutus advocates for a small republic at the state and local level where people have more control and can check the power of their representatives.

Factions: Madison identifies factions as the biggest threat to the republic, defining them as groups of citizens with interests adverse to the rights of others.
Democracy vs. Republic: Madison argues that democracies cannot effectively handle factions because majority factions can trample the rights of minorities through voting.
Inability to Eliminate Factions: Madison believes factions are natural and cannot be eliminated.
Controlling Negative Effects: Madison proposes controlling the negative effects of factions by establishing a large republic.
Larger Republic: A larger republic is the best way to control the negative effects of factions and maintain majority rule with minority rights. The larger the republic, the more factions there will be, making it less likely for any single faction to form a majority and oppress minority groups.

Separation of Powers & Checks and Balances: Madison points out that government is necessary because people aren't perfect. However, those in government aren't perfect either, so there's a need to control the government.
Human Nature: Madison famously states, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
Separation of Powers: Dividing federal government jobs into three branches, each with its own power.
Checks and Balances: "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." Each branch should have some power over the others to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. Branches will guard their powers jealously.

Unitary Executive: Hamilton argues for a unitary executive, where the power of the presidency is held by a single person, for efficiency and effectiveness, especially in crises.
Efficiency and Effectiveness: A single president can act more quickly and decisively than a group or council.
Deliberation vs. Action: Hamilton says Congress should be slow and deliberative in lawmaking, but the executive should be able to enforce laws quickly and act in emergencies.
Public Opinion: A single president is more accountable to public opinion because people know who to blame or credit for successes or failures.

Independent Judiciary: Hamilton argues for an independent judiciary that can use judicial review to rule on the constitutionality of laws and actions.
Job Security: Judges should have lifetime appointments and protected salaries to make sure rulings aren't influenced by other branches giving them job security.
Weakest Branch: Hamilton argues that the judicial branch is the weakest because it has neither force nor will; it only has judgment and relies on other branches to enforce its rulings.
No Enforcement Power: The judicial branch can only make judgments but relies on the executive branch or state and local governments to enforce them.

Fulfillment of Founding Documents: Martin Luther King Jr. demands the fulfillment of the promises made in the founding documents, such as "all men are created equal" and the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause.
Inclusive "We the People": He argues that these principles should be applied inclusively to all Americans.
Civil Disobedience: King defends civil disobedience as a tactic against immoral, pro-segregation laws.
Unjust Laws: King asserts that "an unjust law is no law at all," and citizens have a duty to disobey laws that violate natural rights.