The Framers of the United States Constitution used the term "energetic" government quite a bit. This means a government that is able to protect the states and citizens from both internal and external threats. They can protect the individual rights of the citizens, secure trade, raise a military, and are overall powerful and benefit the country.
Many Federalists were for an "energetic" government. One that was powerful and would properly do good for the country and its people. They wanted to have a strong national government, as they felt having a weak one was harming the country.
Anti-Federalists still disagreed with this though and opposed this "energetic" government that the Federalists pushed for. They wanted to keep the powers with the states and often associated having a strong government with tyranny, especially since they had just broken free of British rule.
