Westward Expansion and Jackson's Economic Policies

Westward expansion and Jacksons’ economic policies influenced the development of democracy by maintaining a republic where economic and political power were widely spread, social classes were restricted and yeomen farmers ruled themselves through local governments. By upholding this Jeffersonian type of democracy, America was able to prevent drastic social and fiscal changes which would have changed the national government between 1820 and 1850. Westward expansion was key in preventing economic concentration and the rise of densely populated cities. Jefferson, who largely influenced American migration to the west, aimed to reduce the national government, lessen the influence of the northeastern merchants and creditors in the national government and promote the yeomen farmer ideal.

Jefferson believed that a democratic country was one where people rule through small yeomen farmer governments with little interference by federal institutions. Because Jefferson made federal land extremely cheap and easily accessible through the rise of canals and railroads the poorer populations of the urban east were able to spread out and seek economic opportunities.

This idea was viewed as highly democratic for the times. Jacksons primary economic policies were to eliminate the tariff and the national bank which lessened the power of tederal government and empower the executive branch as the Democratic representative of the people. By doing so his appointed chief justice was able to persuade the Court to reduce the power of corporations, weaken monopolies, favor market competition, and enhance the legislative authority of the state. Jacksons policies limited the rise of the Commonwealth and industry which threatened Jeffersons’ view of a yeomen farmer democracy.

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The combination of westward expansion and Jacksons economic policies influenced the development of democracy by allowing the independent farmers to rule through nearby governments without the interference of economic or political concentration. Because the lower classmen in the eastern cities were able to spread out and seek opportunities it decreased the rise of cities. This was important in the development of democracy because with the rise of densely populated cities comes the threat of lower-class civil revolution and revolt as well as the threat of an oligarchy based government due to social classes. Jacksons economic policies were also crucial in the development of democracy of the time because it limited the power of government which upheld the democratic theory of checks and balances and limited the power of the rising corporations reducing the threat of economic concentration.