Florida Civic Literacy Practice Exam

Which is a core theme of the Anti-Federalist Papers?

1. Government should support enumerated individual rights

2. The need for a strong central government

3. The importance of national unity

4. Civil rights should be limited

The correct answer is: Government should support enumerated individual rights

A core theme of the Anti-Federalist Papers centers around the idea that government should support enumerated individual rights. The authors of these papers were concerned about the potential for a strong central government to infringe upon the rights of individuals and the states. They argued for the protection of civil liberties and the necessity of explicitly listing these rights to ensure that they were not overlooked or eroded by federal authority. This perspective highlights a fundamental belief in the importance of safeguarding individual freedoms against governmental overreach. While other options may touch on aspects of governance, they do not encapsulate the central arguments presented by the Anti-Federalists as comprehensively as the support for enumerated rights does. The emphasis on individual rights illustrates their wariness of a centralized power structure that might neglect or violate these rights, reinforcing the necessity for a Bill of Rights as a check on government power.