In her post from March 23rd<\/sup> titled \u201cSocial Movements of the Early 1800s\u201d Beth Wright explores how various social movements, including religious revivals and the Masons, political history of this period. I agree with Beth\u2019s assessment of chapters 8-11 of Wilentz\u2019s The Rise of American Democracy<\/i>, but I was also struck by how leader-orientated American politics still are in this time period, in terms of individual ideologies and relationships driving politics. These chapters generally the rise and fall of political relationships, with explanations of how various social and political events influenced these relationships. Wilentz\u2019s references to Jacksonians and Adamsites reminded me that political parties and platforms were still developing in this time period (162). This focus on individual political ideology seems to be tied to structural characteristics of American politics even today. Though there are now distinct political parties, the President continues to campaign and be elected independently from senators and congressmen. In the Canadian parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is appointed from the winning political party and holds little legislative power in the house, beyond their role as a member of parliament and a cabinet member. In class we have talked about how early American politics can be seen as progression of trial and error as early leaders try to create a political system that has few precedents. In these chapters Wilentz shows us how the unique individual role of the president continued to be shaped through the early decades of American politics.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before today\u2019s defined political parties, electing a president with a strong individual political stance gave voters more flexibility to choose a leader that represented their changing and growing political values and needs. But Wilentz also demonstrates how this focus on relationships also became petty. Wilentz discusses one parlor scandal involving Margaret \u201cPeggy\u201d O\u2019Neal Timberlake Eaton, the wife of Jackson\u2019s secretary of war, John Eaton, who had a reputation for being immoral. Vice President Calhoun\u2019s wife, Floride, led a boycott against all events to which Peggy Eaton was invited. Wilentz comments that \u201cThe cabinet broke down into anti- and pro- Eaton factions, the latter led by Secretary of State Van Buren [\u2026] For a time, the Eaton affair appeared to be the premier issue of the day\u201d (167). I am inclined to argue that the pettiness stemming from the system\u2019s focus on individuals and relationships undermined its value in successfully representing and fulfilling citizens\u2019 desires for government. Wilentz writes, \u201c[the scandal] cloaked a great and widening divergence between Calhoun and Jackson over fundamental principals of American Government,\u201d which indicates not a value judgment, but an acceptance of the fundamental interconnectedness of high society and politics (167). We also see this interconnectedness in the election leading up to Jackson\u2019s election. Wilentz writes, \u201ca great deal of the campaign would be a propaganda battle of personalities and politically charged cultural styles rather instead of political issues\u201d (162). Further demonstrates how the nature of politics and the presidency at the time was focused on the individual and how this permeated all facets of politics from campaigning, to the issues debated to daily political life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Works Cited:<\/p>\n Wilentz, Sean. The Rise of American Democracy<\/em>. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In her post from March 23rd titled \u201cSocial Movements of the Early 1800s\u201d Beth Wright explores how various social movements, including religious revivals and the Masons, political history of this period. I agree with Beth\u2019s assessment of chapters 8-11 of Wilentz\u2019s The Rise of American Democracy, but I was also struck by how leader-orientated American … <\/p>\n