1.

HowwouldyoudescribeAmericaexploringtheconceptoflettingthe
Americanshaveapopularvote?

Asyouwillknowfromyourreading,theideaofpopularsovereignty(ultimatepowerin
thehandsofthepeople)wasacentralideologicalprincipleoftherepublicanrevolution
of1776.Theissuewas:whowerethepeoplewithrespecttoactiveparticipationin
thepoliticalsystem?Inotherterms:whowerefullcitizens?

Atthetimeoftherevolution,moststatesrestrictedfullcitizenshiptoadultwhitemen

whoownedproperty.Suchpropertyqualificationsforvotingandofficeholdingcame
underassaultduringthe1820sand1830sandresultedinamoredemocratic
electorate.

Sotheanswertoyourquestionisthatbecauseofculturalbeliefs(maledominance
racialhierarchyprivilegesaccordedtopropertyownership),revolutionaryera
Americansrestrictedthepopularvotetowhiteadultmaleswhoownedproperty.Oneof
thoseculturalbeliefscameunderattackinsubsequentdecadesand,asaresult,the
definitionoffullcitizenshipwasbroadenedtoincludemostwhiteadultmales.Of
course,womendidnotreceivethevoteuntil1920andmostblackswereeffectively
disenfranchiseduntilthemid20thcentury.

2.Whatweresomeuniquequalitiesaboutthefollowingcandidates:JohnQuincy
Adams,AndrewJackson,WilliamH.Crawford,HenryClay,andJohnC.Calhoun?

Rememberthatin1824,eachofthemmayhavehelddifferentbeliefsthantheywould
holdinlateryears.Forexample,JohnC.Calhounwasonce(inthe1810s)a
nationalistinhisoutlookbythe1830s,however,hewasadetermineddefenderof
Southernsectionalismandstatesrights.

3.Whatdoyoubelieveweresomeproblemsregardingthefactthateverymajor
candidaterunninginthe1824electionwasfromthesameparty?

Asyousuggest,followingthedemiseoftheFederalistPartyinthe1810s,therewas
onlyonenationalpoliticalparty,thatdescendedfromThomasJeffersonsDemocratic
Republicanparty.

Thekeytobecomingpresidentwastowinthesupportofthatpartyand,inparticular,
thesupportofthepartysrepresentativesinthenationalCongress,whichmetina
caucus.However,theproblemin1824wasthatthereweremanyfactionsinthe
congressionalcaucus,eachsupportingadifferentcandidateforthepresidential
nomination.SothevoteofamajorityofthecaucusinfavorofWilliamCrawfordof
Georgia(theSecretaryoftheTreasuryunderMonroe)wasstronglycontestedand
ultimatelynotacceptedbyrivalcandidatesandthefactionsthatsupportedthem.

Ofcourse,thisfactionfightingoccurswithinpartieseveninatwopartysystemora
multipartysystemitisnotuniquetosinglepartygovernments.Youcanseethisinthe
presentbattleswithintheDemocraticandRepublicanpartiespriortotheelectionof
2016.LiberalDemocratstendtosupportBernieSandersmoderateDemocratsfavor
HillaryClinton.ConservativeRepublicanslistentoTedCruzTeaPartyRepublicansto
DonaldTrump,RandPaulandCarlyFiorinaEvangelicalChristianRepublicanstoBen
CarsonEstablishmentRepublicanstoMarcoRubioandJebBush.

Sotheproblemor,better,thesituationin1824wasthattheDemocraticRepublican
partyhadbeentoosuccessfulandnowcontainedfactionswithincompatiblepolitical
programs.Eventually,thisincompatibilityledtotheemergenceoftwonationwide
parties,theDemocratsandtheWhigs,eachwithadistinctpoliticalbaseandsetof
policies.

4.Whywastheissueofencounteringnomajorityintheelectoralvoteimportant?

Oneofthebasicideasofdemocraticrepublicanismisthatofmajorityrule.
Consequently,candidateswholackthesupportofamajorityoftheelectorate(orthe
ElectoralCollege)havelessauthoritytogovern.Beyondthat,becauseofthe
requirementsintheU.S.ConstitutioninArticleII,Section1,thelackofamajoritythrew
theelectionof1824intotheHouseofRepresentatives.(Readtheoriginalwordingof
theArticletoseepreciselywhatthatmeantintermsofvotingintheHouse.)Sothe
electionwasnolongertobedecidedbythepopularvotebutbythevoteof
politicianswhichexposedittothehorsetradingthatpoliticiansoftenengagein.

5.WhatisyourviewontheCorruptBargainexchange?Doyoubelieveitwas
actuallycorrupt?

SupportersofAndrewJacksoncertainlybelieveditwascorrupt,fortworeasons.First,
becauseJacksonwonmorepopularvotesandmoreelectoralvotesthananyother
candidate,hissupportersbelievedthathehadamoralrighttobepresident.Second,
thefactthatJ.Q.AdamsnamedHenryClayashisSecretaryofState(thetraditional
steppingstonetothepresidency)afterClayhelpedAdamswintheelectioninthe
HouseofRepresentativesseemedtoJacksonianstobecorruptpoliticalhorsetrading.
Intheirview,Adamsboughtthepresidency.

Wasitcorrupt?Well,asnotedabove,theessenceofsuccessfuldemocraticpoliticsis
findingwaystosatisfyvariouscompetinginterests.Theartofcompromise,asitis
called.Whenpartiesandfactionsareunwillingtocompromise,democraticgovernment
faltersashasbeenthecaseintheU.S.Congressinthepastdecade.However,
compromise,intheformofbargainsandhorsetrading,ismessyandoftenunpalatable,
especiallytothoselookingatthedealsfromtheoutside.Suchoutsideobserversmight
callitcorruptinsiderswouldprobablyseeitasnecessarytomakingdemocraticpolitics
work.

So,personally,IfindthesecondJacksonianobjectiontoAdamsClaybargainnottobe
verycompelling.Theydidadealthatispolitics.However,thefirstobjectionthat
Jacksondeservedthepresidencybecausehereceivedmorepopularandelectoral
votesseemsmorecompellingtome.Majoritiesshouldrule,providedminorityrights
arerespectedaplurality,suchasJacksonreceived,deservedrespectand,inanideal
world,shouldprobablybehonored,otherthingsbeingequal.