Jacksonian Democracy Overview

Jacksonian democracy encouraged the strength of the executive branch and that of the Presidency. All this was done at the expense of Congressional power but with the view of getting more public participation in the government.

Jacksonian democracy supporters believed in giving power to all white men rather than just the propertied elite. The supporters also supported the patronage system which allowed politicians to appoint their supporters in administrative offices. This was done with the view of reducing the powers of the elitists and preventing aristocracy from forming.

The Jacksonians also wanted elected judges and ended up rewriting many state constitutions to reflect the new values.

The Jacksonian era lasted from the time Andrew Jackson was elected as president in 1828 until the slavery issue became highly contentious after 1850.

Jacksonian democracy was built on several principles which are listed below:

• Expanded suffrage -- Voting rights should be more important
• Manifest Destiny -- This was a belief that Americans had a destiny to settle the American West and to expand control over entire North America from Pacific Ocean to Atlantic.
• Patronage -- This is also known as the Spoils System and it was the policy of placing political supporters into appointed offices
• Strict Construction of the Constitution -- The Jacksonians favored a federal government with limited powers. However, as the Jacksonians increased their power, they advocated a more elaborate construction of the Constitution and presidential power.
• Disinvolvement in Economics -- The Jacksonians did not want to get involved in the economy of the country as Andrew Jackson believed that if the government got involved in the economy, favored groups would win privileges which was not correct for a nation that was run by, and for, the common man.