In general, many of the Founders preferred local [[Self-government]], and during the debates quite often referred to the new government they were forming as a "general government" instead of a "national government".<ref>The phrase "general government" appears in the transcript of Madison's Notes of the convention 34 times, and "national government" is explicitly struck out twice.</ref>
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In general, many of the Founders preferred local [[Self-government]], and during the debates quite often referred to the new government they were forming as a "general government" instead of a "national government".<ref>The phrase "general government" appears in the transcript of Madison's Notes of the convention 34 times, and "national government" is explicitly struck out twice.</ref> Additionally as one member (Sherman) noted, an importance for an equality of votes in the Senate was explicitly to preserve the states and give them a negative on the activities of the general government.<ref>[http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_714.asp Madison Debates July 14], "Mr. SHERMAN urged the equality of votes not so much as a security for the small States; as for the State Governments which could not be preserved unless they were represented and had a negative in the General Government."</ref>