Ap Us History Unit 3

Chapter 13 - Jacksonian Democracy:

Contrast JQ Adams and Jackson as symbols of the old and new politics. Show how the Jacksonians used the “elitist” and “corrupt” election of 1824 to arouse popular feelings for the sweeping democratic victory in 1828.

First of all, the corrupt bargain.

In 1824, there were four candidates part of the “corrupt bargain” - JQA (federalist), Henry Clay (warhawk and nationalist), William Crawford (democratic republicans), and A.J. (Jeffersonian democracy).

No one got the majority in the general election, so it went to the H.O.R. for AJ vs JQA. Clay, who did not make it there, was the speaker of the house, and hated A.J. so he met with JQA and after JQA agreed to support Clay’s policies, he decided to throw his support behind him.

Adams was elected (snakey), EVEN THO AJ HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF POP VOTES AND EC VOTES… THIS IS TOTALLY NOT RELATED TO MODERN POLITICS AT ALL, and he made Clay Secretary of State (even snakier)

JQ Adams presidency and his symbol of old politics.

In a nutshell, his presidency was really not successful

He was nationalistic and stubborn at a time where states rights and sectionalism, a weaker central government, and less influence by the government in E national policy were popular

Adams reminded the people of the constitution… Gave it the power to provide for the common defense and to promote the general welfare. He felt the national government should:

Establish a national university

Finance scientific expeditions (such as funding observatories and crap like that)

Reform the patent system

Promote literature and arts

People thought that spending money on infrastructure was silly

They also didn’t like how he was friendly with the native americans (especially the Southern states bc he tried to protect the rights of the Creek Indians)

More and more people began to believe the propaganda that Adams had stolen the election from Jackson - they started to hate him and all in charge

He had problems with the south, with tariffs, with slavery

MOVING ON TO JACKSON’S VICTORY IN 1828 AND NEW POLITICS

Basically, people were really pissed about how JQA stole the presidency, which aroused anti-JQA feelings (duh.)

Jackson was this cool new symbolic dude who was the “frontier aristocrat”

He was the man of the common people

He came from a funky fresh background:

Humble beginnings (altho not really)

Little formal education (I want that in my president too!)

Rose from little money to rich

Was a war hero

First elected from frontier and not from virginia or massachusetts

Not elitist

The presidency now belonged to the masses

The advantages and disadvantages of the new politics of mass democracy? Were such things as the spoils system, party machines, and hoopla-driven campaigns inevitable accompaniments of popular democracy, or could “the people” have been mobilized by a more open and less partisan system?

This is an opinion based question

I believe that things such as the spoils system, which in my opinion was pretty corrupt (I mean, he put his friends in high positions COUGH MODERN POLITICS COUGH TRUMP COUGH SYNTHESIS POINT ON ESSAY)

But I also believe that hoopla-driven campaigns, although ugly, were essential in getting the masses interested in participating in politics.

Advantages: the people get to be actually important and participatory in politics.

Expanding of suffrage etc etc

It’s no longer as aristocracy-ish as it used to be

Political parties are more accepted

Gave structure to the political system

Disadvantages:

Too focused on conforming to party views

Too much focus on getting reelected

Appealing to people rather than doing what is right

Mudslinging

Added to sectional split

Corruption of spoils system

Focus on show not politics

Government too loaded with members of one party

How dramatically did President Jackson change the balance of power between the three branches of government? Did he dramatically expand the power of the executive branch?

Spoils system

Veto power (B.U.S.)

Gave president more power - Jackson exercised the power of the veto more than all of the presidents before him combined.

Checks and balances

He completely ignored the Judicial power and passed the Indian Removal Act anyways

Force bill: passed to justify Jackson’s army against the nullies, and let the federal government build an army to enforce rights

Basically, the supreme court got less power because of the president’s ability to now veto things on what he determines as unconstitutional

It set the precedents for presidency

Expansion of presidential veto to encompass person agenda & not just vetoing unconstitutional proposals

So yes, he did drastically expand the power of the executive branch. Thanks.

Develop the theme of rising sectionalism in the late 1820’s and 1830’s. Show how the assertion of states’ rights and nullification in the tariff controversies reflected growing southern fears of northern political and economic power.

Tariff of 1828

This was the first tariff