Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson both had distinctive, memorable presidencies that changed the political and social landscape of America, but they are remembered particularly for being champions of common men. Unlike their political opponents and the presidents before them, they believed to some extent that all men could participate in the government and reflected these beliefs in their policies. Although both Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson worked to improve the lives and representation of common people, Jackson has the better claim to these titles due to his beliefs that all men should participate in the government and his commitment to universal white male suffrage. However, neither Jackson nor Jefferson showed much regard for common people who were not white males, and therefore neither represented the interests of common citizens nearly as well as they claimed to.
To determine whether Thomas Jefferson or Andrew Jackson was a better representative of the “common man”, it is crucial to understand each president’s views on humanity. Jefferson, who was himself a member of the well-educated, refined elite, believed that all humans, regardless of their social status, had a moral compass and could therefore be trusted with some political decisions. However, he didn’t believe that all people were equal in intellect; he thought that some individuals were born with superior intellect and virtue, and that those people should be the ones in charge of political decisions. In other words, Jefferson believed that a person’s intelligence and capability should determine whether they should have a hand in political decisions. Conversely, Jackson told the country that government should be composed of all people, regardless of background or social class. He once wrote that “The people are the government, administering it by their agents; they are the government, the sovereign power.” Based on the two men’s stances on humanity and its role in the government, Andrew Jackson appears to be the better representative of the common man.
Just as important as the ideas each man had on humanity are the ways these ideas manifested during their Presidential terms. How did each man try to better the lives of common men through
Andrew Jackson was the first United States president who did not come from the nation’s elite social class. Andrew Jackson was a president for the “common man” this was a changing point in American politics. Pro Jackson’s would form the democratic party while the elites would be called the Whig
The building nation of the United States of America is built on the central idea of having a democracy, in which people are given opportunity, freedom, and equality. Around the late 1820s to 1840s, the United States of America approached a period commonly known as the Jacksonian Era. The Jacksonian Era is often depicted with its democratization of politics and it is tightly associated Jackson’s two-term presidency. The era also featured him as a prominent, unique white man, but most importantly, a figure of the “common man.” Before the Jacksonian Era, Andrew Jackson had been involved in the skewed Election of 1824, which he had just barely lost to his running mates. Later, after redeeming himself by winning two consecutive elections, Jackson
Historians just can't seem to agree about Andrew Jackson. Some see him as a hero; others believed he was a villain. Some people view him as a supporter of the “common man” who backed citizens individual rights, promoted expanded suffrage and who fought to keep the union strong. Others view him as a tyrant who ignored the supreme court by signing the Indian removal act and who denied the people the laws passed by their representatives,vetoing more laws than any president before him. Did Andrew Jackson support the ideas of the people or was he a tyrant that was a cruel and oppressive ruler? Andrew Jackson is a democratic supporter of the people because he had respect for the people, supported expanded suffrage, and gave the people power and wealth.
Thomas Jefferson represents the common man. He believes in strict adherence to the constitution. Jefferson wants the rights of an individual state to trump federal government regulations. The reason Jefferson believes in states’ rights is that he believes the government can better relate to the people in this form. He envisions the United States as a primarily agrarian society. Hamilton in favor of strong government and believes consolidation equates to efficiency and order. He envisions the United States as a primarily manufacturing society.
If Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson faced off, many would argue over which president was better leader and who was more effective. Jackson and Jefferson have more differences among them then they have alike, but they both stood in their beliefs and completed major events that helped with the writings of America’s history. If Jefferson or Jackson had an idea in mind that needed to be completed, they were very effective to get that job done in an efficient time. Both presidents held professions before office and out of the eight years both presidents held in office, many acts were created which aided both men to accomplish the ideas they had. Jackson’s daily life and attitude was considerably different compared to Jefferson but that didn 't stop him from getting his job done. Over all Jefferson was the better president and was more efficient thought his works.
The Jacksonian Democrats were very important in the revolutions in political democracy that took place during this period. During this period universal white male suffrage took place and was the first step towards the revolution of the common man in politics. Also, Jackson's acceptance and support of the two-party system helped create a more democratic America in which people with similar views could unite in their support of a singular candidate. Many "working men" of this time period had felt they had been taken advantage of and misrepresented by tyrannical aristocrats who treated them poorly (A). Jackson used this to his advantage with emotionalized speeches exploiting class differences. However, it should be said that during this time period the amount of voters increased dramatically which means that more Americans were involved in American politics (D). Jackson's use of the "Kitchen Cabinet" kept his knowledge of critics and the wants and needs of the people up
Due to the Jacksonian era, politics are now a fundamentally different structure compared to those before it. The democracy of Andrew Jackson, which was created for the people by the people, compared to other self-centered politicians, created a new era for the “common man”. His way of being an advocate for the people made other politicians made others forced to follow his lead to gain votes. The way Andrew Jackson both spoke and executed his ideas ended up angering the many which created a larger divide in the United States. Jacksonian Democracy made the political process run by more “common men”, caused the Union to falter even more, and furthered the development of sectionalism.
Citizens were becoming more involved with their politics. This was mostly due to Jackson being more like the working class voters and sharing many of their same views and getting them involved through various rallies and other get together's. They greatly accepted his theory of democracy and that it should offer “equal protection and equal benefits” to all white males and favor no region or class.
Andrew Jackson, whose presidential term lasted from 1829-1837, was the first president to ever be chosen by the people to lead. Because he was not born into a rich family, people felt that they could relate to him better. He too preferred supporting the common public over the wealthy aristocrats. During Jackson’s period in office he was able to shift the majority of power in the United States to farmers and small businesses in the western part of the country. Jackson vetoed many bills in order to benefit common people and also created the spoils system to balance out his cabinet. Like Jefferson, Jackson was extremely opposed to the Bank of the U.S., believing that it would only make the wealthy even
There are many presidents that are considered to be more popular among the people and their popularity comes from the things that they have done for the nation. George Washington, for instance, helped to start the country off, while also setting admirable precedents for the presidents to come. Abraham Lincoln, or “Honest Abe”, worked to free the slaves, helping to brighten one of America’s darker actions. But then there’s Andrew Jackson, who is one of the more well-known presidents, although his popularity doesn’t come entirely from good acts. He was considered to be the nation’s first “common man” president. Although, many people argue whether or not it is a fitting title for President Jackson, a common man has certain qualities. A
One area where Jefferson and Jackson can be compared similarly is in politics. Jefferson believed that eligibility for people of office should be among egalitarian citizens, or people who are not of high social status (property owners). Rather, a person who is charismatic, talented, and honest should be considered for office as a leader. Similarly, Jackson, “a man of the people”, shared this belief with Jefferson that the egalitarian point of view among citizens of the United States helped empower a democracy. Instead of being a hard-edged, uncompassionate leader who lacks regard for the opinions of the American people, a governing leader should be personable, and more importantly accepting of the views of the American people. This in turn
The presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson were based on similar political philosophies. Both men believed in the common man having a voice in government, and opposed too much power being given to the federal government. Both were educated men, with an extensive knowledge of the law, who believed that an agricultural based economy was the key to Americas economical growth. However, since they were both planters who owned slaves, and Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, it was obvious that their philosophy of defending the common man did not pertain to minorities. Jefferson was raised on a wealthy tobacco plantation, and Jackson, although born poor, was raised by a
Similar to the beliefs of the Founding Father’s political democracy that- ordinary men should have political power to protect himself against the superior man- Jacksonian Democracy deftly delivers civil rights to white men (Garraty 240) (Document 1).
“Jefferson’s precepts are frequently summed up in the maxim “ That government is best which governs least.” ( Hoover, G. E., 1951) adding on to the idea being the beneficiaries of the country’s first bloodless revolution, the Democratic-Republicans were involved in transforming the political culture of America( Schultz, 2013). Thus providing this current political culture the name Jeffersonian Democracy. George Washington had never enjoyed the idea of making appeals to the public, he selected for the people to call on their leaders to act on their behalf. In difference, Jefferson’s Democratic- Republicans anxiously cultivated popular opinion.
Normative political theory is a philosophical and scientific way of studying political science in an effort to determine social values to justify how governmental and public processes should function (Pietrzyk-Reeves, 2017). Three normative political theories have been derived on the political contributions of Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Andrew Jackson. They are referred to as the Jeffersonian, Hamiltonian, and Jacksonian models. The models are a contrast in political philosophies on how government should be organized and function (Sylves, 2015). The Jeffersonian model is based on the ideal that public managers should be responsive to the prevailing public sentiment.