Thank you for the work you put into this. I found it really interesting. I wonder though, do you know the origin of the original use of the word ‘federalist’? At face value, it does seem like it would mean a supporter of more federal power. I had assumed that the modern day usage of the word as applied to conservatives, was referring to a return to the government upon creation. Whatever arguments Hamilton made, surely the federal government in his mind would still be vastly more limited than the one we have today.
You are not wrong. The Federalists were for a more powerful central government, but they went to great pains to limit its power. What we have today would have terrified them, and quite rightly. The federal government DOES have a role (like securing the border, for example), and needs to be effective in that role. There are things at which the fed is more efficient and effective, and those things are few.