"The founding anti-Federalists feared [Presidential power was] precarious in the hands of a centralized, nationalized government, where “swayed by elites” they would devolve into “wars for conquest, not defense”, preferring this power devolve even further to the local and state level, enforced through the prohibition on standing armies, quartering armies in the community, and the power of arms in the hands of the people through the Militia and the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

"They especially worried about the capacity of a single man in the Presidency usurping the powers of the Commander in Chief to make war without even Congressional blessing. The Federalists promised the President could never do that without Congressional pre-approval, with John Jay promising this check effectively muted the fear of abuse of executive power.

"Our founding generation abhorred emperors, despised empire, and feared any crossing of the Rubicon by a small elite or single person to kill a Republic for a would-be empire. Our founders denied the right to make conquest a legitimate objective of the national government. Why? Because they saw how adventurous, avaricious empires killed republics quicker than anything could. Don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to understand that; just need a Cliffs Notes history of the world. "

-- Robert Barnes