Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Jacksonian Democracy--JM Group
How would you describe Ryan’s attitude toward Jackson and the expansion of democracy during the 1830s and 1840s? Do you think that she overstates or understates the expansion of democracy, or do you think that she has struck a nice balance in her assessment of this era? (Use examples from the essay to support your answer)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Ryan describes the rise of Jacksonian Democracy as much as a social phenomenon as it is a political movement. She describes a transition from what she calls "deferential politics" to participatory politics. By that she means that in prior eras, people essentially relied on political elites to make public policy decisions. But increasingly, by the 1830s and 40s, people demanded a direct role in them. She finds evidence for this in the "raucous" and "Boisterous" public meetings, parades, and debates that dominated urban life. This trend towards increased involvement was reflected in a number of changes in the political process, most importantly the adoption of universal manhood suffrage(she also points out that this drive towards democracy did not extend equally towards African Americans or Women). Lastly her attitude shows that she believed the rise of competing political parties, the Jacksonian Democrats and the Whigs, BOTH adapted to this increased level of democratic involvement.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Ryan presents a balanced view of the expansion of democracy. For example, she does say that this was limited to only white men. She also makes clear that these changes occurred over several decades and not abruptly. At the same time, she correctly depicts this transition towards a much more involved level of political participation as a powerful change in American political life. What's more, Ryan accurately illustrates just how profound this public display of passion for politics that Jackson's philosophy elicited in the 1830s-1840s was when she describes that through these public meetings "...the spirit of democracy was thrust into the annals of the American political tradition." The rise of Jacksonian democracy, in Ryan's opinion, is more than simply the rise of president Jackson, but rather a broad social change in how Americans viewed, and could participate, in the politics of the United States.
Using vivid language, Ryan characterizes the Jacksonian democracy as no less than politically revolutionary, showing just how important this phase in the transition to real democracy was to the country. She frames the gentrified "freeholders" as powerful, landowning white men who controlled not only the old economy, but also the politics. Prior to the Jacksonian era, in New York for example, the politics were controlled by "a common council... elected by propertied citizens [who] rarely consulted with the citizenry" (259). This established aristocracy of sorts hindered the development of a purer form of democracy, forcing opponents to resort to relatively radical measures to change things. Beginning with the entrenchment of the powerful two-party system, the democracy of this time expanded from an ideal to a reality. While women and many minorities were prevented from voting even after this time period (263-264), the expansion from propertied white men to all white men shows the radical development in the concept of who has the right to vote. In the former case, voting is selective and thus undemocratic; however, the latter points to a change in the ideology of American democracy where all men could vote. As Ryan exemplifies, this transition led to heated passion about politics, leading people to take to the streets in "boisterous" celebration over the simplest of elections, such as sheriff (258). Noting the prevalence of mobs and riots (264), she definitely believes that this period is fully empowering to the common man, for now his simple political ambitions can be realized in a ballot box. Therefore, it is self-evident that Ryan's characterization is strong but fair, for this time-period was extremely significant in the early development of true democracy. In now a "struggle of gladiators" (265), this period saw an expansion of the reality of democracy, as opposed to the original ideal of democracy which had been so powerful in the time of the American Revolution. This makes Jackson a man of the people, for he and his followers embodied principles that empowered (in their eyes), all capable voters.
ReplyDeleteIn the first part of this article, the author, Mary Ryan, discusses how she believes political parties affect civil activity. As we have learned, prior to the political parties system, a political elite monopolized elections. Until 1828, the common man had no say in the choice of presidential candidates as state legislature had previously handled this. The author restates that, “In all the countries where political associations are prohibited, civil associations are rare. It is hardly probable that this is the result of accident; but the inference should rather be, that there is a natural and perhaps a necessary connection between these two kinds of associations”(259). In other words, it is necessary to have political parties in order for the public to more actively participate. The author discuses how, unlike the political elite that had once monopolized the union, these active participants are “placing different opinions in open competition”. Furthering this point, she states, “the citizens became an actual participant in self- government”(259).
ReplyDeleteIn the section of this article entitled ‘Democratizing the Public’, the author describes the methods in which the public brings democracy into the communities. As the author describes, prior to the public’s intervention of municipal government, the “elected council members…rarely consulted with the citizenry”(259). The citizens concluded that they could remain active in discussing their community’s government because “the people have the right and duty at all times…to assemble together to consult for the common good”(260). Relating back to the first part of this article, I believe that the political party system meets the need of the public to become more active and congregate to discuss issues concerning their collective lives.
As people became more active in their own governments, “the ranks of ‘the people who counted’ had expanded significantly”(262). The only problem left unaddressed was what constituted a citizen whose opinion should be counted. As the author describes, “a pristinely white and decisively male universe” existed in America (263). While the advancements in African American and women’s suffrage did not improve dramatically, as the author describes, “the further electoral rights are extended, the greater is the need of extending them: for after each concession the strength of democracy increases, and its demands increase with its strength”(264).
Mary Ryan depicts the democratic movement of Andrew Jackson to be an uprising of citizens who wish to take up a more important role in their country's politics. Americans wished to be able to have a say in the future of their country; they wished to take part in a direct exercise of political citizenship (page 259). Ryan depicts this early stages of this political period of Jacksonian democracy to be a revolutionary movement of the working class white American man. Through riots and other public meeting, crowds of blue collar Americans would gather to voice their opinions and show support for the leaders that they put their faith in. An example of this was the Great Meeting of the People on March 28, 1834 (page 260). The author quickly transitions from the "chaos" of democratic rallies, to other important aspects of the era, such as racial and gender discrimination in politics. She states that the politics at this point in time has become "a pristinely white and decisively male universe" (page 263). Women and African Americans were virtually invisible to all heads of state because these groups of people were not seen to have any importance at all in the world of politics. Though women wished to take part in discussions, their actual participation was nearly anything at all; they weren't prevented from participating, it was greatly looked down upon to do so. African Americans on the other hand did have an opportunity to us their voice, or so it seemed. The constitution of 1821 gave anyone with an African ancestry the right to vote, as long as they owned $250 worth of land. But due to political figures and their discriminatory ways, only 298 out of 30,000 African Americans were granted the right to vote (pages 263-264). With all of this evidence presented by the author, I conclude that Mary Ryan presents a firm yet fair description of this democratic uprising. She states that though it is the best political view of the time, it still has its faults: "It proclaimed the rights of all the people to participate in the process of representation. But democracy as an actual political practice was something else again: It almost always came with strings attached and with specific provisos as to which people counted at any particular time and place" (page 262). Mary Ryan sees democracy as a great political expansion for America, but it will not reach its true potential until everyone is granted the right to vote.
ReplyDeleteRyan seems to view the new wave of Jacksonian democracy as a transformation from the older more secluded ways of politics, to a more open and public political scene. Citizens all over the country seemed to be swept up in this new political phenomenon. As described on page 259 ryan describes political campaigns as having immense potential for associated activity in urban public space. In addition to the growing number of citizens who participated in politics (262), Jacksonian democracy also made politics more relatable to the ordinary citizens of the United States. No more was politics restricted to the elite educated few. As stated on 262, "The rhetoric of democracy seemed fortnight. It proclaimed the right of all the people to participate in the process of representation." This influx of new political involvement came with a downside Ryan thought. On page 264 Ryan says that "The course of the democratic of the 1830's and 40's ran roughsod over any refined notion of political protocol or decorum.
ReplyDelete