What were the philosophical differences between the Federalists and the Anti-federalists?

The general difference between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists was based in the way that each side felt that central government had a certain role in the new nation. This is to say that the Federalists felt that there was a necessary approach to government that required a stronger central (or federal) government, and the Anti-Federalists felt that there we a need to limit federal government and value states’ individual rights at the highest order of the system. This resulted in the Federalists favoring the three wings of government we know now (legislative, judicial, executive) that are equally empowered by the system of check and balances. The Anti-Federalists, as proponents of states’ individual governing power, favored the legislative branch as the most powerful. This is due to the fact that it is the most representative of populations and closer governance of local interests in the national level of government.