More handpicked essays just for you.
Strict & Loose Constructions of the Constitution
Thomas Jefferson's beliefs on government
Thomas Jefferson's beliefs on government
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Before Thomas Jefferson was elected the president of the United States in 1801, he strongly believed in a government that was not centered on a strong federal government, but rather he pushed the idea of the states holding the majority of the power. These ideas of giving the states lots of power was favored by much of the population of the U.S. during the time, and may have very well put him ahead of the other candidates involved in the election. Once elected, Jefferson followed his policy of a “strict constitution”, but slowly and eventually began to abandon his past ideals. Jefferson had multiple occasions of direct contradictions to his way of “strict constitution”, which basically changed his style of government to more of a “loose government.” …show more content…
Jefferson thought that the power must be taken from the federal government, and be spread to states so everyone had more freedom and so the federal government couldn’t take over and control as seen in previous time periods. For example, when America was under the rule of the British government and the British could impose whatever taxes they thought fit in the new world. “The excise law is an infernal one. The first error was to admit it by the constitution; the second, to act on that admission” (Doc 1). Jefferson believed that the British tax was the main reason why the America became an independent nation, and was astonished when he saw the excise tax being passed which lead him to think that the federal government was going to destroy the newly formed union with this tax (Doc 1). “They constituted a general government for special purposes, delegated to that government certain definite powers, reserving, each state to itself, the residuary mass of right to their own self-government” (Doc 2). The purpose and ideas of the Kentucky resolutions directly reflected on what Jefferson was preaching, saying the Alien and Sedition Acts gave too much power to the federal government and were unconstitutional. Jefferson brought this style of limited federal government with him into the beginning of his presidency, and …show more content…
When Jefferson entered the office the tensions between the Barbary States (Doc 4) had hit its peak, so Jefferson had to take action beyond the constitution in order to resolve the conflicts. In the end there were very few American casualties and the United States ended conflicts with the Barbary States by only paying $60,000 ransom to end the war. Exceeding the limitations of the constitution to buy the Louisiana territory was a very successful decision, in that it practically doubled the size of the United States and eliminated all borders with foreign nations, except for Canada. “Have done an act beyond the constitution…it is the case of a guardian, investing the money of his ward in purchasing an important adjacent territory” (Doc 3). Jefferson is stating how the Louisiana Purchase was great investment by purchasing an important foreign territory for the good of the United States. The only ones didn’t like how Jefferson changed his policies were the federalists, “Be resolute, act like sons of liberty, of god, and your country; nerve your arm with vengeance against the despot[Jefferson] who would wrest the inestimable germ of your independence” (Doc 5). The Federalists are saying how Jefferson is gaining too much power and he should be stopped, and if they let him keep going how he is going to take away everyone’s freedom that the United States has promised.
Jefferson and Adams Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were both strong presidents who kept a stabile nation, but they differed in their methods of doing so. Adams was a federalist so he helped establish a stable government by focusing on forming a strong central government. Jefferson being a democrat-republican worked to establish stability in the US government by promoting state’s rights. They both worked for stability in different but successful ways.
Thomas Jefferson’s theory about having the more powerful state government stayed the same in his letter to James Madison in 1794. He said that a smaller state government would be best for the country, and also for each individual state. It would allow the states to govern themselves, and to make their laws to best fit them. Thomas also said that the states can ignore the laws that the Federal government has
Thomas Jefferson's strict interpretation not only stretched on political views, but religious views as well. Creating the Virginia Statue of Religious Freedom, Jefferson gave states the right to make those decisions, and the federal government had no say in religion (1). Politically, Jefferson was of strict interpretation, yet he did through-out his presidential terms made loose interpretations of the Constitution. This was mainly shown in the purchase of Louisana. At first, Jefferson wanted only New Orleans to keep the mouth of the Mississippi out of French possesion. If that would fail, he was even willing to make an alliance with Britain. When hearing that the United States had bought all of the Louisana Territory, Jefferson soon began to fret over whether it was unconstitutional (a loose interpretation). When Jefferson first took office, he appointed a new Treasury Secretary Gallatin, and kept most of the Federalist policies laid down by Alexander Hamilton in place. All the ideas the Democratic-Republicans were against, Thomas Jefferson kept all of them except for the excise tariff. Against war, Jefferson decided to size down the army during his administration. But the pasha of Tripoli declared an outrageous amout of money by the United States, and with the United States saying no, cutdown the flagstaff in front of the U.S. Consolate (4). Jefferson was forced to go against his views, and build up the army against the North African Barbary States in the First Barbary War (4). And last, but not least, Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807 not only changed from strict to loose interpretations, but changed New Englanders minds as well (1)(5).
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and viewed the office of the president to be strictly constructed by the constitution. He, like Washington, believed his power as president derived directly from the constitution and the affection of the people. Although he had a Whig theory he made the Louis...
...ter the country as a whole. John Randolph, a Democratic Republican of the time even suggested that the Jeffersonian Republicans were taking on the old Federalism principles during Madison’s term. Document F explains how, “this government created and gave power to Congress to regulate commerce…not to lay a duty but with a steady eye to revenue…”
In “From Notes on the State of Virginia,” Thomas Jefferson includes some proposed alterations to the Virginia Laws and discusses some differences between blacks and whites. First, he describes one of the proposed revisions regarding slavery: All slaves born after the enactment of the alteration will be freed; they will live with their parents till a certain age, then be nurtured at public disbursement and sent out of state to form their own colonies such that intermarrying and conflicts can be avoided between blacks and whites. Next, Jefferson indicates some physical differences between blacks and whites, including skin color, hair, amount of exudates secreted by kidneys and glands, level of transpiration, structure in the pulmonary organ, amount of sleep, and calmness when facing dangers. As he notes, these differences point out that blacks are inferior to whites in terms of their bodies. In addition, Jefferson also asserts that the blacks’ reasoning and imagination are much inferior to the whites’ after he observes some of the art work and writings from the blacks. As a result, based on his observation, he draws a conclusion that whites are superior to blacks in terms of both body and mind. However, Jefferson’s use of hasty generalization, begging the question, and insulting language in his analysis is a huge flaw which ruins the credibility of his argument and offenses his readers.
Jefferson feared a strong central government. Thomas Jefferson feared industrialization and the consequences that would come along with it. He feared industrialization because this allowed people to make money without being a farmer. He supported the farmers so he did not want to disappoint them by supporting the industrialization idea. He felt like farming was important especially to their families. Jefferson believed ordinary citizens should be able to be educated and know what was right. During the Jefferson democracy, education was important to prepare and to hold office. Jefferson also felt like education was very important so he built schools to enhance the people’s knowledge so they can become better at reading and writing. Education was necessary and the key to success in Jefferson’s democracy. When it came to politics, Jefferson believed that a man has to have a piece of land in order to vote. For religious reformation in the Jeffersonian democracy, Jefferson believed that religion should be practiced freely. Jefferson did own slaves, but since he felt that slavery was wrong he prohibited slaves to be
Thomas Jefferson had a different view on how the government should run over what Thomas Paine felt. I really like how Thomas Paine worded it the best by stating “In order for the colonist to prosper in the long term, the colonies need to be independent.” Paine all so states “by declaring independence, America will be able to ask for help from other countries in its struggle for freedom.” The colonist just needed to break away so they could grow on their own. By the colonists breaking away is how the United States of America was formed.
...th of these ideas were significant, they did not truly change how the nation operated as a whole. For all his talk, Jefferson did little to change the Federalist policies established by his predecessors and ultimately ended up embracing many of them. Yes, the election represented change, but was the election was really the “Revolution of 1800”, as claimed by some? Perhaps the greatest proof against this idea is that the national government has more or less existed in the same form since it was established by the Constitution.
Throughout the period dating from 1801 to 1817, the United States government was primarily controlled by the Jeffersonian Republican party, whereas the Federalist Party began to slowly fade away from public view. The Jeffersonian Republican party, led by Thomas Jefferson, professed to favor a weak central government through the support of more states' rights, "...that the states are independent... to...themselves...and united as to everything respecting foreign nations." (Document A). The Federalists of the United States were known as the loose constructionists, where if there is something which the constitution does not state, then it should be allowed to be done. The Jeffersonian Republicans were known as strict constructionists for their views towards the constitution that if there is anything that is not in the constitution, then it cannot be done. The Jeffersonian Republican party centered many of their political moves on the basis of creating a strong agricultural society with a weakly centralized government where each of the states have more rights to govern themselves, where the Federalist party believed more strongly on industrializing the nation and creating a strong central government. Even though strict constructionism was the idea behind the Jeffersonian Republican party, both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison both have evidence against them which can prove that they were not strict constructionists. This is based on different political moves made by these two presidents which are more towards the Federalist side of things opposed to their own Republican and strict constructionist ideas.
Thomas Jefferson was the third American President. Due to the fact that he was such an early President, he influenced our political system greatly, both in the short and long term with his seemingly quiet approach to congressional matters. During his presidency, many things happened that changed the United States as we know it. He coordinated the Louisiana Purchase, assisted in implementing the twelfth amendment, formed the character of the modern American President, and cut the U.S.’s war debt by a third.
Jefferson was a very strict constructionist; he believed that the government would only do things specifically named in the Constitution. “The Constitution did not give the U.S government the right to accept a land purchase. President Jefferson knew that there was not enough time to write an amendment to the Constitution to allow him to make the Louisiana Purchase, but he also knew he would be a fool to pass up the opportunity to gain so much land for so little money” (McGill, Sara Ann. "Louisiana Purchase." Louisiana Purchase (2009): 1.)
During the construction of the new Constitution, many of the most prominent and experienced political members of America’s society provided a framework on the future of the new country; they had in mind, because of the failures of the Articles of Confederation, a new kind of government where the national or Federal government would be the sovereign power, not the states. Because of the increased power of the national government over the individual states, many Americans feared it would hinder their ability to exercise their individual freedoms. Assuring the people, both Alexander Hamilton and James Madison insisted the new government under the constitution was “an expression of freedom, not its enemy,” declaring “the Constitution made political tyranny almost impossible.” (Foner, pg. 227) The checks and balances introduced under the new and more powerful national government would not allow the tyranny caused by a king under the Parliament system in Britain. They insisted that in order achieve a greater amount of freedom, a national government was needed to avoid the civil unrest during the system under the Articles of Confederation. Claiming that the new national government would be a “perfect balance between liberty and power,” it would avoid the disruption that liberty [civil unrest] and power [king’s abuse of power in England] caused. The “lackluster leadership” of the critics of the new constitution claimed that a large land area such as America could not work for such a diverse nation.
He is trying to overcome problems like slow transportation and communication and to expand the country over the continent. He is referring to his ‘Empire of Liberty’, stretching from the east to the west coast, with just one political system. He wanted to spread his ‘Liberty’ by westward expansion. But to make this dream a reality you need faster communication and better technology, it was impossible to lead a democracy, which is so big, th that time. Morgan is correct when he’s writing and persuading us with his claim that western expansion was in a few heroes’ minds. It all started in Jefferson’s mind:”[...]he awaited with impatience the day when the continent would be settled by a people governed in similar forms, and by similar
"It would swallow up all the delegated powers [of the states], and reduce the whole to one power. "-Jefferson referring to the Bank. He was strongly against big government and felt it would oppress the common man. "I am not a friend of a very energetic government.it places the governors indeed more at their ease, at the expense of the people." Jefferson was also a strong supporter of the Bill of Rights, which protected the rights of the people.