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Jacksonian democracy

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Jacksonian democracy refers to the political philosophy of US President Andrew Jackson and his followers in the new Democratic Party. It was resisted by the rival Whig Party. More broadly, it refers to the period of the Second Party System (1824–1854) in which this philosophy was ascendant as well as the spirit of that era. It is often contrasted with the characteristics of Jeffersonian democracy, which dominated the previous political era.

Broadly, Jacksonian democracy, in contrast to the Jeffersonian era, promoted the strength of the executive branch and the Presidency at the expense of Congressional power, while also seeking to broaden the public's participation in government. Jacksonians believed in enfranchising all eligible white males, rather than just the propertied class, and supported the patronage system that enabled politicians to appoint their supporters into administrative offices, arguing that it would lead to increased public participation in politics. They opposed appointive judges. They rewrote many state constitutions to reflect the new values. In national terms the Jacksonians favored geographical expansion, sometimes justifying it in terms of Manifest Destiny. There was usually a consensus among both Jacksonians and Whigs that battles over slavery should be avoided. The Jacksonian Era lasted roughly from Jackson's election until the slavery issue became dominant after 1850 and the American Civil War dramatically reshaped American politics.

Contents

The philosophy

Jacksonian democracy generally was built on several principles:

; Expanded suffrage: The Jacksonians believed that voting rights should be extended beyond landowners to include all white men of legal age. During the Jacksonian era, suffrage was dramatically expanded throughout the country.
; Manifest Destiny: This was the belief that Americans had a God-given right to settle the American West and to expand control over all of North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Some Jacksonians, notably Martin Van Buren, however, argued for limitations on expansion to avoid the expansion of slavery within the Union.
; Patronage: Also known as the spoils system, patronage was the policy of placing political supporters into appointed offices. Many Jacksonians held the view that patronage was not only the right, but also the duty of winners in political contests. Patronage was theorized to be good because it would encourage political participation by the common man and because it would make a politician more accountable for poor government service by his appointees. Jacksonians also held that long tenure in the civil service was corrupting, so civil servants should be rotated out of office at regular intervals.
; Strict construction of the Constitution
Like the Democratic-Republicans who strongly believed in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, Jacksonians initially favored a federal government of limited powers. Jackson said that he would guard against "all encroachments upon the legitimate sphere of State sovereignty". This is not to say that Jackson was a states' rights extremist; indeed, the Nullification Crisis would find Jackson fighting against what he perceived as state encroachments on the proper sphere of federal influence. This position was one basis for the Jacksonians' opposition to the Second National Bank. As the Jacksonians consolidated power, they more often advocated a more expansive construction of the Constitution and of Presidential power.
; Laissez-faire economics
Complementing a strict construction of the Constitution, the Jacksonians generally favored a hands-off approach to the economy. The leader was Wiliam Leggett of the Loco-Focos in New York City. Jackson believed that when the government took a stronger role in the economy, it made it easier for favored groups to win special privileges, which was anathema to a nation run by, and for, the common man. In particular, the Jacksonians opposed banks, especially the national bank, known as the Second Bank of the United States.

The historical era

Election by the \"common man\"

Andrew Jackson was the first president ever to be partially elected by the common citizenry, as the 1824 United States Presidential election was the first in which all free white men without property could vote. Nonetheless, one quarter of the participating states had their electors chosen by the State Legislatures. Issues of social class have been much discussed by historians (Wilentz 1982). For more details, see Social Class in American History.

In addition, some political parties began holding public nominating conventions to select a party's presidential and vice presidential candidates, allowing more voter input.

A popular Hero

Jackson's mannerisms and ideal of power contrasted sharply with the first proposed people's president, Thomas Jefferson. For instance, Jackson's inaugural address was attended by a wide variety of people; from former African American slaves to the richest land owner.

Jackson, a war hero who had fought alongside trappers and traders in the War of 1812, was someone with whom the common man could identify, and brought an informality to the conduct of government: he discussed politics in his parlor with "common" men while smoking cigars, in contrast to the more formal meetings common to the Jeffersonian era. Jackson was sometimes advised by a group of old friends, known as his "kitchen cabinet."

Factions 1824–32

The period 1824–32 was politically chaotic. The Federalist Party was dead. With no effective opposition, the old Democratic-Republican Party withered away. Every state had numerous political factions, but they did not cross state lines. Political coalitions formed and dissolved, and politicians moved in and out of alliances.

Many former Democratic-Republicans supported Jackson; others, such as Henry Clay, opposed him. Most former Federalists, such as Daniel Webster, opposed Jackson, although some, like James Buchanan, supported him. In 1828, John Quincy Adams pulled together a network of factions called the National Republicans, but he was defeated by Andrew Jackson's coalition.

The system stabilized in 1832-34, as the National Republicans joined with other anti-Jacksonians, such as the Anti-Masonic Party, to form the Whig party. The Democrats and Whigs now battled it out nationally and in every state.

Reforms

Jackson fulfilled his promise of broadening the influence of the citizenry in government, although not without controversy over his methods.

Jacksonian policies included ending the bank of the United States, expanding westward, and removing American Indians from the Southeast. Jackson was denounced as a tyrant by opponents on both ends of the political spectrum such as Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. Jacksonian democracy had a lasting impact on allowing for more political participation from the average citizen, though Jacksonian democracy itself largely died off with the election of Abraham Lincoln and the rise of the Republican party.

Jacksonian democracy was also known for the economic Panic of 1837 due perhaps to policy decisions made by Andrew Jackson himself.

Jackson created a system to clear out elected officials in government of an opposing party and replace them with Jacksonian Democrats. Jackson relied heavily on the power of the veto to accomplish his goals; to ensure that Congress never overturned his vetoes, he gave patronage jobs to supporters, ensuring votes for more Jacksonian Democrats in Congress.

Jacksonian Presidents

In addition to Jackson himself, his second Vice-President and one of the key organizational leaders of the Jacksonian Democratic Party, Martin Van Buren, served as President. While Van Buren was ousted by William H. Harrison. Harrison died just 30 days into his term, and his Vice-President, John Tyler quickly reached accommodation with the Jacksonians (and, indeed, was expelled by the Whig Party while he was still a sitting President). Tyler was succeeded by James Polk, a staunch Jacksonian, who was the last of the true Jacksonians to serve as President. During and just after Polk's term, both the Democratic Party and the Whig Party were split by issues of slavery, with the Whig Party dissolving and ultimately being replaced by the Republican Party.

External links

References

Secondary sources

Primary sources

 

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