The Corrupt Bargain

When Andrew Jackson was denied presidency in 1824 due to “the corrupt bargain” between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay, he was furious at the lack of democracy in the election system. He became determined to institute a new age of genuine democracy in America where the voice of the people wouldim being monarchal, Andrew Jackson was a very democratic president evidenced by his drive to give the people more representation and also his attempted transfer of power from the few to the many. To begin, Andrew Jackson was determined to get the people more representation in all branches of government. This was most likely because of the corrupt bargain that had so angered him due to the lack of democracy in the presidential election. During Jackson’s first term, he wrote a letter to Congress asking for them to consider a new law limiting public office appointments to four years. He claimed, “The duties of all public officers are… so plain and simple that men of intelligence may readily qualify…” (Document 6). In saying this, Jackson meant that the same people should not be able to continue in office for such long durations of time. To increase representation, other qualified men who are ready to enter public office, should be able to be elected in promptly. This would make the process more democratic as the voice of the people would be heard more often. Also, Andrew Jackson succeeded in giving the people more representation in the presidential election. According to the Historical Statistics of the United States, most states in 1816 and 1820 chose Presidential Electors through the state legislatures rather than the people. The elected legislatures did represent the people; however it was not direct democracy. By 1824, when not only Jackson’s name, but also his policies were widely known, four states switched their methods of electing Presidential Electors, electing them directly through the people instead of their state legislatures. Once Jackson became president