The Antifederalists found the Constitution lacking mainly in several ideals:
- They believed the Constitution consolidated too much power in a strong central government, which threatened the sovereignty of the states and individual liberties.
- They feared the creation of a powerful presidency that could become monarch-like.
- They were concerned the Constitution did not include a Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms explicitly.
- They thought the government created by the Constitution would be too distant from the people and thus unresponsive to local needs.
- They worried about an overpowered national government that could impose oppressive taxes and diminish the authority and relevance of state governments.
- They feared the standing army under federal control could be used to oppress citizens.
- They were against the idea of a large republic, doubting its ability to represent the people's interests adequately.
- They advocated for a more decentralized government with greater protections for individual rights and stronger state authority.
In summary, the Antifederalists ideal was a government that preserved strong state sovereignty, explicit protections of individual rights via a Bill of Rights, a limited national government to avoid tyranny, and more direct responsiveness to the people rather than a powerful centralized authority.