What did federalists think was essential for the government to do?

The federalist thought it was essential that the federal government have the ability to collect taxes.

This idea came of age after the failing of America's first constitution, known as the Articles of Confederation. During this constitution, the federal government had very little power over the states. To fix this, the federalists proposed a new constitution in which the federal government had the ability to collect taxes and organize a national army. This would allow for more revenue for the government, as they could start to pay off the national debt.