Federalist

A federalist is a person who supports federalism, a political system in which power is distributed between a central government and subnational units such as states or provinces. In practice, a federalist may advocate a constitutional framework that preserves regional autonomy while vesting important powers in a central authority. The term is used in historical, political, and legal contexts to describe supporters of arrangements that balance national unity with local self-government.

In United States history, federalist often refers to members of the Federalist Party, an early political party active from roughly the 1790s to 1816. Led by figures such as Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, the party argued for a strong central government, a robust commercial economy, and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. It competed with the Democratic-Republicans and gradually faded after the War of 1812 era.

The term also relates to the Federalist Papers, a collection of essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay written in 1787 and 1788 to promote the ratification of the Constitution and to explain the proposed system of government, including checks and balances and the advantages of a large republic.

More broadly, federalists are supporters of federalist ideas in other countries and movements that seek greater political integration or power-sharing among constituent units, such as federations within a nation or international unions emphasizing shared institutions and subsidiarity. The core concept remains: distributing authority across multiple levels to balance unity with local governance.