Nineteenth-Century Politics in the United States

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1、20130129Nineteenth-CenturyPoliticsintheUnitedStatesThedevelopmentofthemodernpresidencyintheUnitedStatesbeganwithAndrewJacksonwhoswepttopowerin1829attheheadoftheDemocraticPartyandserveduntil1837.Duringhisadministration,heimmeasurablyenlargedthepowerofthepresidency."ThePresidentisthedirectrepresen

2、tativeoftheAmericanpeople,"helecturedtheSenatewhenitopposedhim."Hewaselectedbythepeople,andisresponsibletothem."Withthisdeclaration,Jacksonredefinedthecharacterofthepresidentialofficeanditsrelationshiptothepeople.DuringJackson'ssecondterm,hisopponentshadgraduallycometogethertoformtheWhigparty.Wh

3、igsandDemocratshelddifferentattitudestowardthechangesbroughtaboutbythemarket,banks,andcommerce.TheDemocratstendedtoviewsocietyasacontinuingconflictbetween"thepeople”—farmers,planters,andworkers—andasetofgreedyaristocrats.This"papermoneyaristocracy"ofbankersandinvestorsmanipulatedthebankingsystem

4、fortheirownprofit,Democratsclaimed,andsappedthenation'svirtuebyencouragingspeculationandthedesireforsudden,unearnedwealth.TheDemocratswantedtherewardsofthemarketwithoutsacrificingthefeaturesofasimpleagrarianrepublic.Theywantedthewealththatthemarketofferedwithoutthecompetitive,changingsociety;the

5、complexdealing;thedominanceofurbancenters;andthelossofindependencethatcamewithit.Whigs,ontheotherhand,weremorecomfortablewiththemarket.Forthem,commerceandeconomicdevelopmentwereagentsofcivilization.NordidtheWhigsenvisionanyconflictinsocietybetweenfarmersandworkersontheonehandandbusinesspeopleand

6、bankersontheother.Economicgrowthwouldbenefiteveryonebyraisingnationalincomeandexpandingopportunity.Thegovernment'sresponsibilitywastoprovideawell-regulatedeconomythatguaranteedopportunityforcitizensofability.WhigsandDemocratsdifferednotonlyintheirattitudestowardthemarketbutalsoabouthowactivethec

7、entralgovernmentshouldbeinpeople'slives.DespiteAndrewJackson'sinclinationtobeastrongPresident,Democratsasarulebelievedinlimitedgovernment.Government'sroleintheeconomywastopromotecompetitionbydestroyingmonopolies'andspecialpr