Big versus Small Government
Mission: 1/10
XP: 0
Streak: 0
The Big Question
Should America have a BIG government or a small government? The Founders fought about this. We still are.
BIG Government
Washington D.C. — MAXIMUM POWER
Federalist No. 10 | Hamilton & Madison
Federalist No. 10 | Hamilton & Madison
VS
small Government
minimal power
Brutus No. 1 | Anti-Federalists
Brutus No. 1 | Anti-Federalists
The Beagle in Chief
Welcome! I am Roger the GoPup — your guide through one of the greatest debates in American history. Hamilton and Madison wrote Federalist No. 10 to SELL the Constitution. Brutus 1 tried to KILL it. Both have excellent arguments. Your job today is to figure out who was right. Woof.
📚 All Resources — Click to Open
The Federalist Papers: No. 10 Full Text
Google Drive | Primary Source
Reading Fed. 10
Google Doc | Guided Reading
Federalist No. 10 Argument Finder
Google Doc | Activity
Reading Brutus 1
Google Doc | Guided Reading
Brutus 1 Argument Finder
Google Doc | Activity
Comparing Brutus 1 and Fed. 10 Table + Key
Google Doc | Comparison Activity
Arguing BIG or small Government
Google Doc | Debate Activity
Foundational Documents Graphic Organizer
Google Drive | Organizer
Completed Rubric — Brutus 1
Google Doc | Answer Key
Completed Rubric — Fed. No. 10
Google Doc | Answer Key
Fed. No. 10 Highlights Remix Sections 1-11
Google Doc | Sections Activity
Fed. No. 10 Highlights Remix KEY
Google Doc | Teacher Key
📜 Federalist No. 10 — Key Sections
Madison argues that a large republic is the CURE for the disease of faction. Slide through all 11 sections.
CED CONNECTION — Unit 1
1.2.ADifferent forms of democracy — Federalist No. 10 argues REPRESENTATIVE republic beats direct democracy
1.3.BThe tension between majority rule and minority rights — Madison says large republic protects minorities better
🧠 Federalist No. 10 Quiz
8 questions. Roger spins for correct answers. Sad trombone for wrong ones. You have been warned.
The GoPup is watching
Ready when you are! Answer all 8 questions to earn 400 XP. Woof.
📜 Brutus No. 1 — Key Sections
The Anti-Federalists fight back. Brutus argues the Constitution gives too much power to the federal government. Slide through all 8 sections.
CED CONNECTION — Unit 1
1.3.ABrutus 1 directly addresses the tension between government power and individual liberty
1.2.BBrutus feared participatory democracy would be crushed by a distant central government
🧠 Brutus No. 1 Quiz
8 more questions. Roger is still watching. The trombone is still loaded.
Beagle in Chief — Judging You
Brutus 1 is the best document you have never read. Change that. Then answer 8 questions. Woof.
🥊 The Case For and Against
Before you vote, you need the full picture. Here are the real arguments. Study them. Then decide.
🏛️ The Case for BIG Government (Team Federalist No. 10)
1. National Problems Need National Solutions
Climate change, pandemics, and economic crises do not stop at state borders. Only a federal government has the scale and resources to coordinate responses across 50 states.
2. Protects Rights That States Ignore
Without federal intervention, many states maintained segregation, denied women the vote, and stripped workers of rights. The Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, and federal courts exist to override state failures.
3. Economic Stability and Safety Net
Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and FDIC bank insurance all require federal scale to work. A small government could not fund or enforce these programs across 330 million people.
4. National Defense and Foreign Policy
No single state can maintain an army, negotiate treaties, or project power internationally. A strong central government is the only entity that can defend the nation and speak with one voice to the world.
5. Prevents a Race to the Bottom
Without federal standards, states compete by slashing environmental rules, worker protections, and taxes to attract business — harming citizens everywhere. Federal minimums prevent this downward spiral.
6. Madison: Faction Requires Scale
Federalist No. 10: a large republic with diverse factions prevents any one group from seizing control. Small governments are MORE vulnerable to faction, not less. Size is the cure.
🏠 The Case for small Government (Team Brutus 1)
1. Power Corrupts — Always
Brutus 1: rulers always expand power and never voluntarily give it back. A large central government accumulates authority until citizens cannot reclaim it. History has proven this pattern repeatedly.
2. Local Government Knows Local Needs
A town hall in rural Montana and a city council in Miami understand their communities far better than a bureaucrat in Washington D.C. Decentralized government produces better-fitted solutions for local problems.
3. Individual Liberty Requires Limited Government
Every new federal program, regulation, and bureaucracy constrains individual choice. The founders believed freedom and big government are inherently in tension — more of one means less of the other.
4. States as Laboratories of Democracy
When states experiment with different policies, we learn what works. Massachusetts tested universal healthcare before the ACA. Colorado tested marijuana legalization. Diversity of state policies drives innovation.
5. Federal Debt and Overreach
The federal government is $33+ trillion in debt. Big government programs are expensive, often inefficient, and frequently outlive their usefulness. Smaller government means less spending, lower taxes, and more fiscal responsibility.
6. The 10th Amendment Is Not Optional
Powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or the people. The Constitution explicitly limits federal authority. Expanding federal power beyond those limits violates the original design — and Brutus warned us this would happen.
🌪️ Scenario 1: Natural Disaster — Wildfire or Hurricane
The situation: A catastrophic hurricane hits the Gulf Coast, destroying entire cities across three states. Thousands are displaced, infrastructure is gone, and local governments are overwhelmed. A wildfire simultaneously engulfs millions of acres across four western states.
BIG GOVERNMENT SAYS:
Only FEMA and the federal government can mobilize resources at this scale — the National Guard, federal disaster funds, the Army Corps of Engineers. States simply do not have the money or capacity. Federal coordination saves lives.
SMALL GOVERNMENT SAYS:
Federal bureaucracy slows response — remember Hurricane Katrina and FEMA failures. States and local communities respond faster and know their terrain better. Private charity and mutual aid are more flexible than federal programs.
Think about: Who should lead disaster response — the federal government, states, or a partnership? What does Hurricane Katrina (2005) or the California wildfire response tell us about this debate? Which real AP Gov case or document supports your view?
🗺️ Scenario 2: Immigration Enforcement
The situation: The federal government wants strict nationwide immigration enforcement. Some states (like Texas) want to independently enforce immigration law. Other states (like California) declare themselves sanctuary states and refuse to cooperate with federal deportation orders.
BIG GOVERNMENT SAYS:
Immigration is explicitly a federal power — the Supremacy Clause requires states to follow federal law. Patchwork state enforcement creates chaos. A unified national policy with federal enforcement is the only constitutional answer.
SMALL GOVERNMENT SAYS:
States have the right under the 10th Amendment to choose how they use their police and resources. Sanctuary cities reflect local community values. States should not be forced to fund or enforce federal priorities they disagree with.
Think about: Who controls immigration — federal or state? How does the Supremacy Clause apply here? What about state sovereignty and the 10th Amendment? Which Founder — Madison or Brutus — would side with sanctuary cities? Why?
💰 Bonus Scenario: Economic Crisis and Market Regulation
The situation: The stock market crashes. Major banks are collapsing. Millions are losing jobs. Should the federal government intervene with bailouts, stimulus, and new regulations — or let the market correct itself?
BIG GOVERNMENT SAYS:
The 2008 crash and the Great Depression show that unregulated markets fail catastrophically. Federal intervention — TARP, stimulus, the New Deal — saved millions of jobs and prevented complete economic collapse. Markets need federal guardrails.
SMALL GOVERNMENT SAYS:
Adam Smith and Brutus 1 agree: government intervention creates moral hazard. If banks know they will be bailed out, they take reckless risks. Let failing businesses fail, allow the market to self-correct, and stop spending taxpayer money on private failures.
🗳️ The Constitutional Convention Vote
The class IS the Constitutional Convention. Vote: ratify the Constitution (BIG) or reject it (small). One person, one vote.
The GoPup endorses voting
You have read the arguments. You have studied the scenarios. Now vote. The class tally will appear in real time. Roger cannot vote because he is a dog, but he has very strong opinions about federal leash laws.
RATIFY IT
BIG Government
Federal power, national unity, Federalist No. 10
Hamilton and Madison approve
Hamilton and Madison approve
REJECT IT
small Government
State power, individual rights, Brutus 1
Anti-Federalists approve
Anti-Federalists approve
CLASS TALLY
Real history check: The real Constitutional Convention ratified on September 17, 1787 — but it was CLOSE. Many delegates refused to sign. The Anti-Federalists won a major concession: the Bill of Rights (1791), proving Brutus had a point.
⚖️ Compare: Federalist No.10 vs Brutus 1
Fill in the comparison table. Then check your answers against the key. This is exactly what the AP exam will ask you to do.
| Category | 📜 Federalist No. 10 BIG Government |
📜 Brutus No. 1 small Government |
|---|
💭 Big Picture Reflections
Connect it all together. These questions are written in AP Gov FRQ style. Roger will evaluate your effort. Lovingly.
Beagle in Chief — Judging You
These are the questions that matter. Not just for the AP exam — for living in a democracy. Write something real. Roger can tell when you are trying.
📐 CED Connections — Unit 1
Everything you just did connects to College Board learning objectives. Here is the map.
The GoPup knows the CED cold
Congratulations! You just worked through Unit 1 Topics 1.2 and 1.3. Here is exactly where this shows up on the AP exam. Woof.
Topic 1.2 — Types of Democracy
LO 1.2.AExplain how models of representative democracy are visible in the U.S. Constitution — Federalist No. 10 argues a REPRESENTATIVE republic beats direct democracy precisely because it filters faction
LO 1.2.BExplain how U.S. government has changed the extent to which it reflects participatory, pluralist, and elite democratic models — Brutus 1 feared a government too far from the people (less participatory)
Topic 1.3 — Government Power and Individual Rights
LO 1.3.AExplain the tension between majority rule and minority rights — Federalist No. 10 directly addresses HOW a large republic resolves this tension through diversity of faction
LO 1.3.BExplain how the tension between government power and individual liberty is reflected in the U.S. Constitution — Brutus 1 is EXACTLY this tension: central power vs. individual liberty
Required Foundational Documents
REQFederalist No. 10 — REQUIRED document. You WILL see it on the AP exam. Likely in stimulus-based MC AND FRQ.
REQBrutus No. 1 — REQUIRED document. Know it. Love it. Quote it in your FRQ.
TIPFRQ Tip: Always cite the SPECIFIC ARGUMENT from the document, not just its name. "Madison argued in Federalist No. 10 that faction is controlled by extending the sphere" earns more points than "Federalist No. 10 talks about factions."
🏆 Your Final Stats
Total XP Earned: 0
Questions Correct: 0 / 16
Missions Completed: 0 / 10
Homework: Complete the Graphic Organizer for BOTH documents 📋
Questions Correct: 0 / 16
Missions Completed: 0 / 10
Homework: Complete the Graphic Organizer for BOTH documents 📋
