Jacksonian Democracy Case

A democracy is based off of the majority rule over the minorities. The development of democracy between 1820 and 1840 was contributed by many factors, but two main factors were the influences of Jacksonian economic policy and westward expansion. The United States of America has repeatedly undergone various series in democratic development. Previous events throughout history demonstrate American democracy in its most, and least successful forms. Despite the mistakes and successes of the past, however, the United States as a democratic society has continued to develop by trying to create a more perfect union. Both the Jacksonian economic policy and westward movement in America were indicative of the development of democracy between 1820 and 1840. It was in this antebellum era that the United States, with economic and sectional changes, made effects to comply democratic politics and make changes to try to remain true to the founding fathers' plans for the country to be a perfect union.

Prior to the 1820s and 1830s democracy in America was slow going and hard to define. When Jackson took office in 1829 his economic policy would be one to help shape American democracy into what it is today. Jacksonian Economic Policy advanced the power of presidency. George Washington set precedents for the following presidents on how the constitution should be interpreted. He believed that presidents should veto something only when the constitutionality is of question. The Jacksonian economic policy broke this precedent and therefore advanced the development of American democracy. Jackson believed that the bank was too powerful. The bank answered only to private investors, and not the common men, to whom Jackson appealed. In 1832 when Henry Clay, an enemy of Jackson, proposed to recharter the National Bank. If Jackson vetoed the recharter, Clay hoped to gain Jackson's wealthy supporters. If he passed it, then the common men would feel betrayed. Andrew Jackson ended up vetoing the recharter. His veto of the recharter bill marked the first time in American history that a president vetoed a bill solely because of dislike, and not because of possible constitutional infringement. That single veto evolved American democracy in a massive way; it augmented presidential power. The will of one man could even conflict with the third branch of the federal government, the Supreme Court. In the landmark case McCulloch v. Maryland the Supreme Court had ruled that the Bank of the United States was constitutional, and Andrew Jackson denied that constitutionality. Andrew Jackson's economic policy between 1820 and 1840 developed American democracy by expanding the power of the presidency. The Jacksonian economic policy also created the panic of 1837. Jackson withdrew all federal funds from the bank and deposited them in state and private banks, also known as "pet" banks, because of