Democracy: The Development Of Democracy In The United States

The Development of Democracy

After the election in 1824, the Republican Party began to separate because of industrialization in New England, the spread of cotton in the south and westward expansion. The Republicans who were suspicious of having a federal government that was too powerful and wanted more power in the state became Democrats. Republicans that wanted the Federal government to encourage a strong economy became Whigs. Politicians had to start trying to gain the vote of the common man because of electoral reforms. As democracy arose, social class, wealth, and education became less important when being elected. A politician’s success rested on whether he could gain the popular vote and be well liked by the voters. Andrew Jackson
was the key factor in the rise of democracy and his economic policies shaped the future of the Democratic Party. The changes in Electoral politics and Andrew Jackson’s economic policy encouraged the growth of democracy in the United States and gave birth to the two party system America uses today.
The changes made in electoral politics between 1820 and 1840 reformed democracy by creating a two party system that battled for the common man’s vote.
The Republican Party that had been the only party for many years soon began to split apart and the Democrats and the Whigs arose. Political democratization occurred in many ways, but most importantly many states began to substitute poll taxes for the property requirement. This allowed the common men to vote and their vote became the most important one. Written ballots replaced oral voting, which lessened the intimidation factor for people to vote for whomever their superiors wanted them to vote for. Voters also began to choose their own presidential electors instead of the state legislators doing it for them. The electoral collage endured through these changes. Politicians soon learned that opposing democracy would ruin their chances of being elected so they had to cater to what the people wanted. The corrupt bargain in the election of 1824 accelerated democratization. Jackson had won the popular vote but he didn’t have the majority required by the constitution so the decision was pushed in to the House of Representatives and John Quincy Adams won the election because of a deal he made with Henry Clay. This angered the voters and they pressed for change in the voting process. The changes in the voting process in the 1820s made a lasting impact on how politicians had to approach the common man in
elections.

Jackson’s economic policy during his presidency developed American democracy by expanding the power of the executive branch.
The past presidents only vetoed a law when it was unconstitutional, but Jackson was the first president to veto a law out of distaste for it and not just out of unconstitutionality. Jackson and many of his supporters felt that the Bank of the United States put too much power in the hands of a few elite shareholders. Henry Clay, a political enemy of Jackson, tried to recharter the bank but Jackson immediately vetoed it. This single veto tremendously changed American politics by making the Executive branch just as powerful as two thirds of Congress. Then in his next term, Jackson once again showed his dislike of the Bank of the United States. Nicholas Biddle received a bill to reacharter it and Jackson vetoed it, calling the bank a ‘privileged monopoly’. Jackson then put the money in smaller state banks called “pet banks”. Here, Jackson shows his democratic way of thinking by taking money and power from the Federal Government and putting in in the hands of the states. Jackson’s aggressive policies made him look like a tyrant and many newspapers began calling him “King Andrew the I”. Jacksons Unprecedented use of the veto forever changed American politics and made the Executive branch more
powerful.

The Elections of 1824 and 1828 were major turning points in the development of the Democratic Party. Most people did not realize that a new political system was brewing in the United States. The lack of electoral majority in the election of 1824 and the corrupt bargain, people began looking for change. Electoral politics began to change as a result, because nobody wanted to see another election of 1824. Martin Van Buren saw the need for a new party system and changes through out the government. He envisioned Andrew Jackson, the hot-tempered, orphan, war hero as the man to lead a new political party. Many people viewed Jackson as a common man who was bold, and uneducated which led to his victory. Jackson’s followers looked at John Quincy Adams as a prissy rich boy and he could not gain the support of common people. Since the Common man could relate to Andrew Jackson, he won the popular vote. After the controversial election of 1824, people saw the need for a new political system and reforms in the electoral process.

American democracy transformed between 1820 and 1840 in remarkable ways, mostly due to Jacksons’ economic policy and the changes in the electoral system. Once the Republican Party started to fall apart, some people felt the need for a whole new Party system. The changes that were made in electoral politics helped to form the modern two-party system. The presidential position was altered thanks to Jackson’s assertive economic policies. Also, middle and lower class votes started to become very important for politicians. Without these changes, the modern government and electoral process that exists today would not be the same.