8th Grade US History Practice Test 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The main idea being tested is how Anti-Federalists viewed the power balance between the national government and the states. They feared that the Constitution would create a strong national government with enough authority to override state laws and erode state sovereignty. This worry wasn’t about liking or disliking specific institutions alone; it was about whether the new framework concentrated too much power at the center and left states with too little control over their own affairs. That is why the most fitting understanding is that Anti-Federalists were concerned the national government could trampling on states’ rights, unless protections like a Bill of Rights were added to limit federal authority. The other options don’t capture that central fear: they did not advocate a monarchical system, and while some were wary of centralized financial power or taxation, those are not the core issue they emphasized in opposing the Constitution.