Question

what arguments did james madison and the other federalists use to convince people that the constitution was a good thing

Answer 1

He pointed out that the Articles of Confederation had weaknesses.

The Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were:

Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of size Congress didn't have the power to tax, or to regulate foreign and interstate commerce There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress There was no national court system. Amendments to the Articles of Confederation required a unanimous vote. Laws required a 9/13 majority to pass in Congress