Fed Up Card Game
A prognostication opinion game that surfaces the dynamic between The Federalists, who drafted the Constitution as the highest law of the land, and the Anti-Federalists who wanted to ensure that the people had an individual Bill of Rights.
Guiding Question:
- How did the tension between centralized authority and individual liberty shape the formation of the Constitution and Bill of Rights?
Objectives:
- Analyze the differences between Federalist and Anti-Federalist perspectives on government structure and individual rights.
- Evaluate the importance of compromise in the formation of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
- Explain the significance of the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists in shaping the final form of the Constitution.
- Apply critical thinking skills to rank and prioritize political concepts from different ideological perspectives.
- Analyze how differing political philosophies contributed to the development of the American system of government.
- Reflect on the importance of clear communication and shared understanding of language in political discourse.
Download the Black and White Print-and-Play version.
Game Time: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 4-12
No prior knowledge required!
Game Facilitation Presentation:
About the Game:
A prognostication opinion game that surfaces the dynamic between two groups that share some common beliefs but prioritize different ways of achieving them. The Federalists drafted the Constitution as the highest law of the land. The Anti-Federalists wanted to ensure that the people had an individual Bill of Rights. The written papers and counterpoint arguments created a give and take that ultimately resulted in two historic documents still used today.
Post-play Discussion and Reflection
The intent of this game is to draw attention to the similarities and differences between Feds and Anti-Feds, and how that might have contributed to a better final outcome. There are indeed terms with multiple meanings; this is intentional and may generate various levels of disagreement. Lean into that energy, however serious or humorous, to make learning objectives stickier.
- How did you feel applying your team’s perspective to the terms?
- What was your process for ranking terms and how did it differ from others?
- When (or how) did you ask for clarity of terms for shared understanding?
- How did your team negotiate toward agreement and overcome differences?
- Where do you see parallels between this game and the founding docs?
- Discuss the importance of writing down thoughts, working through discomfort, and having a shared understanding of language
AP Standards Connections
LO 1.3.A Explain Federalist and Anti-Federalist views on central government and democracy.
EK 1.3.A.1 Federalists supported ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government.
EK 1.3.A.2 Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution and wanted more power reserved to state governments rather than a strong central government
Principles and Virtues
Respect, Prudence, Liberty, Federalism
Vocabulary Glossary
Discussion Questions for Push-Back on listing order:
- Why did you rank [term] higher/lower for the Federalists/Anti-Federalists? What specific beliefs or concerns support that decision?
- How would a Federalist or Anti-Federalist explain their support or opposition to this term in their own words?
- Are there any documents, speeches, or events from the time that help you support your ranking?
- If you had to switch the order of two terms, which ones would you swap and why?
- Which two terms seem most opposite in meaning or value to the two groups? Why?
- Was there any term that both groups might agree on—but for different reasons? Explain.
- Which term was the most controversial to place? What were the strongest arguments on each side?
