Jacksonian Democracy – the Era of the Common Man, a New Political Theory

According to Corbett et al. (2023), Andrew Jackson’s background, campaign platform, and his election as U.S. president represented the common man’s rise. One of the reasons Jackson is seen as a representative of the common is due to his economic and educational background. Unlike previous U.S. presidents who mostly came from wealthy, educated, and privileged backgrounds and families, Jackson’s background was reminiscent of that of most Americans. Jackson was born to an immigrant family and was raised by a single mother since his father died before he was born: Jacksonian Democracy – the Era of the Common Man, a New Political Theory.

Besides, Jackson’s election bids were hugely supported by commoners. Although he lost the 1824 election, he received the majority of the popular votes but did not gather enough electoral college votes from the House of Representatives. In addition, the removal of property ownership as a condition for participation in elections bolstered his bid since this development allowed more commoners to participate in elections.

President Jackson’s era marked a shift to democratic ideals in American politics. One of the major democratic developments marking his presidency is the expansion of suffrage. Unlike was the case, where previously common men would not vote, it was now possible for white men without property to vote (Corbett et al., 2023). Another key development was a focus on a more powerful but small federal government.

Along with this development, Jackson asserted the need for a more powerful president who would guide policy. Jackson’s commitment to ensuring the presidency became strong often put him at odds with state governments and courts.

For instance, his resistance to the ideals of the Bank of America was seen as a stance designed to enable commoners to advance economically (Corbett et al., 2023). Besides, political parties became more powerful and more divisive during Jackson’s era. It is worth noting that Jackson’s first term in office marked the first time when the new Democratic and Republican parties participated in elections.

Notably, Jackson facilitated political developments that led to an expanded and open democratic space. One of the key developments was the removal of class biases in the government constitution at the state level (Corbett et al., 2023). This was reflected in the way most states expanded suffrage, allowing more white males to not only participate in electing leaders but also offer their candidacy. The Jacksonian ideology also sought to expand democracy through economic inclusion.

Apart from inclusion in the financial sector of commoners demonstrated by his fight against the Bank of America, Jackson also sought to fight for the downtrodden farmers. Jackson went out of his way, sometimes using unconstitutional means to fight for farmers (Corbett et al., 2023). For instance, his insistence on the removal of Indians was one of the actions undertaken by Jackson to benefit farmers living in poverty.

Alexis de Tocqueville offered an insightful commentary about American democracy, referring to the tyranny of the majority, where the majority could use their numerical strength to oppress the minority. According to Alexis, the American democratic framework favors the majority to the extent that the minority do not have an avenue for redress if they feel mistreated. If individuals or parties feel offended in the U.S., they are likely to resort to public opinion and legislature, where the majority have their way (Keen, 2024).

On the other hand, courts, which are probably a measure of last resort, are constituted by judges elected by the majority, implying that their decisions will ultimately reflect the aspirations of their electors. Today, Alexis de Tocqueville’s concept of tyranny of the majority is reflected in various sectors of American life. The structural racism against minority communities such as Black Americans is persistent because the minority communities are underrepresented; hence cannot veto oppressive policies.

References

Corbett, P. S., Janssen, V., Lund, J. M., Pfannestiel, T., Vickery, P., & Waskiewicz, S. (2023, July 6). U.S. History. OpenStax, OER Commons. https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history

Keen, P. (2024). “Making America gothic again: Reading Alexis de Tocqueville’s democracy in America today.” New American Studies Journal, 75. https://doi.org/10.18422/75-1806

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Jacksonian Democracy – the Era of the Common Man, a New Political Theory

Jacksonian Democracy – the Era of the Common Man a New Political Theory

• Describe how the election of Andrew Jackson represents the rise of the common man.
• Assess the shift in political theory during Jackson’s administration.
• Analyze how the Jacksonian era is synonymous with the expansion of democracy and the advent of a more open political system.
• Evaluate Alexis de Tocqueville’s statement argument about the tyranny of the majority. Does it reflect American democracy today?