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Compare and Contrast the Presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Bill Clinton The goal of my essay is to compare the presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Bill Clinton. Thus, in my essay I will discuss the main steps taken by both the presidents. So, I will enlighten the policy of Andrew Jackson from 1796 and up to the end of his second term of presidency, - to 1837. This period of Jacksons life includes his membership in Tennessee convention, holding a position of the representative in the U.
S. House of Representatives, occupying positions of a judge and major general. All these events had happened before Andrew Jackson won the election campaign and I think they are important to mention because of their significant impact on the further personal style, policy and decision making of the president. Speaking about Bill Clinton, I will discuss the following aspects: his education, the work experience before his presidency, his style and strategy in implementing his policy, and his impeachment.
Also, I will list the positive and negative changes that occurred during the presidency of both Jackson and Clinton. This will help me to compare their historical and political influences. At the end of my essay I will sum up my own conclusions made on the basis of all the comparisons. Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States. His presidency lasted from 1829 - 1837. He is the first president who came from the area west of the Appalachians.
Also Andrew Jackson is the first president who gained his office by direct appeal to his voters rather than through the support of any political organization. His political movement has been known as Jacksonian Democracy. In 1796 Jackson became a member of the convention that drafted constitution for Tennessee State. That year he became the first representative from the state of Tennessee to the U. S. House of Representatives.
There Jackson served only up to March 4, 1797 and then returned to Tennessee again. The same year he was elected to the U. S. Senate but in 1798 he resigned and came back to Nashville where he was elected a judge. He served in the Supreme Court until 1804 and in 1802 Jackson became major general of the Tennessee militia, the position he held during the War of 1812.
As it has been already mentioned Andrew Jackson was the first president from the west of the Appalachians, and the significant thing here is that the initiative leadership and organization of his election campaign came also from the west. Thus, the victory of Andrew Jackson indicated the beginning of the westward movement in the political power of the center. Once Jackson said: "I know what I am fit for. I can command a body of men in a rough way; but I am not fit to be president. " And yet today Andrew Jackson is regarded as the marker of the modern presidency. In addition, Andrew Jackson was the first president who was born in poverty. Though later, he became the largest landholder in Tennessee, Jackson retained his prejudice against people of wealth.
When he entered his presidency he did not have a defined program. Also Andrew Jackson is considered to be beneficiary of a rising tide of democratic sentiment. This trend was characterized with the admission of new states to the Union. Thus, Jackson allowed the admission of six more states and only five of those states had manhood suffrage.
Also, Jackson extended the suffrage laws in all the old states. It is interesting to know that Andrew Jackson was promoted very well and advertised due to the decline of popularity of the older political organizations. Simultaneously, the Jacksonian organization managed to become remarkably triumphant by picturing its candidate as a true embodiment of democracy. This strategy proved to be very successful despite the fact that Andrew Jackson had been aligned with the conservatives of Tennessee fraction and, what is more, he had opposed the idea of legislation for the relief of debtors when the post-war financial crisis occurred in the West.
Thus, the achievements mentioned above of Andrew Jackson are estimated by the official sources, in the following way: the victory of Jackson reflected the emergence of new forces in U. S. politics, and Jackson himself brought to the presidency a new set of personal qualifications that were to become the standard by which presidential candidates would be judged for the remainder of the 19 th century. But the same source argued that since George Washington Jackson was the first president who has not served a long apprenticeship in public life and had no personal experience in the formulation or conduct of foreign policy.
In short, while his presidency the personal tactics of Andrew Jackson was the following. First, Jackson approached each issue only when the problem arouse. The same vigor of his was exhibited when he was carrying out his decisions. On the whole, Jacksons conduct was believed to be characterizing for a commander of an army.
Second, as Britannica put it, he made it clear from the outset that he would be the master of his own administration, and, at times, he was so strong-willed and decisive that his enemies referred to him as King Andrew I. And third, Andrew Jackson created his own kitchen cabinet that consisted of some newspaper editors and politicians. This informal group of people helped Jackson in making decisions and policy. Additionally, there are some significant facts concerning the first term of Jacksons presidency. First, the inauguration of Andrew Jackson that took place on March 4, 1829, attempted to reflect the fact of repudiation of his predecessor.
Afterwards, Jackson began the removal of his opponents in the government, replacing them with his supporters. Later, however, William L. Marcy tried to defend this process of rotation in the government saying the aphorism: To the victors belong the spoils. All in all, this kind of Jacksons political strategy resulted in the removal of one-fifth of the whole number of federal officeholders. Second, Andrew Jackson managed to preserve the integrity of the Union though many serious threats existed. Third, Jackson failed to support the Supreme Court in the case with Cherokees' lands.
In that case Jackson made no efforts to restrain Georgia who defied the federal government. Georgia extended its jurisdiction to the lands occupied by the Cherokee Indians. The Indians appealed to the Court but it decided in the favor of Georgia. As a result, the Indians had to leave their territory and soon after they were forced to leave again to the west areas. On their way, most of them died of illness, starvation, and exposure. Afterwards, this journey was named Trail of Tears.
This Andrew Jacksons act is still being debated and some of the critics are inclined to believe that it was not adequate and rightful. Andrew Jackson was reelected in 1832. His second term is notable for some vetoes that caused controversy and conflicts. Thus, Jacksons veto of the bill to recharter the bank provoked a conflict over financial policy and this conflict continued through all the period of Andrew Jacksons second term.
Also, Jackson issued the Specie Circular that required payment in silver and gold for the public lands. This measure produced a great demand of specie that the banks could not meet. The banks started to fail and in 1837 the country fell in the grips of financial panic. During the presidency of Andrew Jackson underwent some significant changes. In particular, the North Policy was added to the mansion. Also the public rooms in the building were refitted.
In order to meet the presidents needs of water without relying on the system of filling and carrying pails, a new system of iron pipes was installed. At the end of his second term, Jackson retired to the Hermitage, his home. Andrew Jacksons influence and the positive changes that occurred while his presidency are like these ones: Jackson increased the popularity of the office. He managed to obtain widespread approval of his actions and thus it had a profound effect on U. S. politics for the next half of the century; The success of Andrew Jacksons policy is considered to be a vindication of the new democracy; Jackson established a pattern that was followed by the future candidates for the presidency.
For example, born in humble circumstances, experienced the frontier, close to common people, devoted to democracy etc. As to Bill Clinton, whose original name is William Jefferson Blythe IV, he was the forty-second president of the United Sates. Clintons presidency lasted from 1993 to 2001 and during this period the country had its longest peacetime economic expansion. This characteristics of policy making differs form what Andrew Jackson achieved. Unlike Clintons presidency, Jackson initiated financial panic and passed the acts that were economically controversial. Also, the country experiences some war conflicts during the presidency of Jackson.
Unlike Andrew Jackson, who had no personal experience in the formulation or conduct of foreign policy Bill Clinton specialized in foreign affairs. Clinton attended Georgetown University and graduated with a degree in international affairs. Also, Bill Clinton did not follow the pattern, introduced by Jackson, of a person who rose in humble circumstances and had experience on the frontiers. Evidently, Clinton was from the other social layer and received a more profound education.
In 1973 Bill Clinton was a teacher in the University of Arkansas School of Law, and further, in 1974, he made an unsuccessful attempt of running a seat in the U. S. House of Representatives. The year of 1978 became the time when Bill Clinton won the governorship of Arkansas and became the youngest governor of the country. On the whole, these facts of the first steps in career making are similar for both Bill Clinton and Andrew Jackson. All of them illustrate the amount of successful outcomes and frustrations, one faces and overcome on the path to ones goal.
However, the difference between the periods before presidency of Clinton and Jackson lies in the level of their achievements. For example, Andrew Jackson did not become a governor, while Bill Clinton did not obtain the seat in the U. S. House of Representatives or U. S. Senate.
Unlike Andrew Jacksons campaign, the elections of Bill Clinton gave him a shaky start. He proposed to end discrimination of lesbians and gay men in military and this was sharply criticized by the conservatives and some of the military leaders. Moreover, Clinton failed to manage this issue afterwards and proposed the compromise that did not satisfy either of the sides. And, generally, the tendency of unstable leadership was kept throughout the entire presidency of Clinton. Many of Clintons decisions were criticized and opposed by other factions or some individual leaders. For instance, during his campaign Bill Clinton promised to establish system of universal health insurance.
For this purpose, he appointed his wife Hillary to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. This step was objected and criticized by conservatives who did not like the propriety of the arrangement as well as Hillary's feminist views. Clintons wife introduced a new idea of the country's first lady. Hillary possessed a chief place in the organization of Bill Clintons election campaign. Also she attempted to proceed with the political career of her own, unlike the wife of Andrew Jackson; and besides, official sources do not give any particular information about the activity and the personality of Rachel Donelson Jackson. So, I conclude, that Andrew Jacksons wife, like the majority of women in 19 th century, was considered to be inferior and did not play any important role.
Notwithstanding the missteps at the beginning of his presidency, Bill Clinton achieved many positive results during his first term. Thus, North American Free Trade Agreement was passed that allowed to create free-trade zones between America, Canada and Mexico; also, more women and minorities were appointed to high government posts, including Madeleine Albright, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Janet Reno. Additionally, during Clintons fist term deficit reduction package was enacted by Congress and more than thirty bills were passed relating to family and women issues. In fact, Clintons conduct, decision making and policy differed much from those of Andrew Jackson. In contrast to Jacksons determination, his style of a military commander and a master of his own administration, a powerful king, Bill Clinton was moderate and really democratic in his views on his power. This can be proved with numerous facts of opposition to him, arguing with him and even pressure on him conducted by his subordinates.
For instance, in 1994 the Republicans gained a majority in Congress for the first time in more than forty years. Subsequently, Clinton accommodated some of the program of Republicans, though personally he did not approve them. This program was designated to reduce the amount of money spent by the government on social reforms. However, the controversy between the president and Republicans in Congress increased the popularity of Bill Clinton in the country. And it was the effect opposite to what Republicans had intended. In 1996 Bill Clinton was reelected and, like Andrew Jackson, remained for the second term.
The second period of Clintons presidency was distinguished with his successful economic and political activity. For example, in 1998 the first balanced budges was passed and in that period the vibrant economy also produced historically high levels of home ownership and the lowest unemployment rate in nearly 30 years. Also, great achievements were obtained in foreign policy. Thus, Clinton initiated reinstating Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and the sponsorship of peace talks aiming at ending the ethnic conflicts and war in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the efforts in bringing permanent resolution of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians. On the whole, it becomes evident that Bill Clinton was successful in carrying out economic policy and foreign affairs. But, the domestic affairs of his country were not properly managed by Clinton, unlike Andrew Jackson, who based much of his power on his leadership in domestic affairs.
Maybe, the lack of Clintons persistence and his, so to say, imprudence provoked the incident that laid the grounds of his impeachment. To my mind, Bill Clinton was a gifted politician and good president until he became a victim of the turn of unhappy events and his own carelessness to deal the issue properly. As a result, Bill Clinton was impeached. He became the second U.
S. President who left his office because of impeachment. In sum, having compared the presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Bill Clinton I can make the following conclusions. First, the social layers the presidents came from were different; second, Andrew Jackson and Bill Clinton were educated to a different rate; third, before their presidencies, they equally experienced victories and loses; forth, they focused on different aspects of politics: Andrew Jackson mainly set his leadership in domestic affairs, while Bill Clinton in foreign ones and also succeeded in economic policy. In addition, I think Andrew Jackson and Bill Clinton had different views on the issues of women, war, and democracy. Bibliography: Bill Clinton's Social Security options.
The Washington Times. News World Communications, Inc. 30 Jan. 2005. 5 Apr. 2005 < web > Encyclopedia Britannica, 2004, Encyclopedia Britannica Deluxe Edition, Britannica com. Richard Hofstadter, "Andrew Jackson and the Rise of Liberal Capitalism, " in The American Political Tradition: The Men Who Made It, Knopf, 1948 Satz, R. N. (1975). American Indian Policy in The Jacksonian Era. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Ted Galen Carpenter, Bill Clinton, Aggressor, Cato Institute, 23 Mar. 1999. 5 Apr. 2005 < web >
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