Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

Tiger, Tiger,BurningBright 241

Themovementtoimposetermlimitsonrepresentativesandsenators

reflects basicJacksonian thinking: Washington makes baddecisions

becausedecisionmakershavebecometooremotefromthepeople.Term

limitswillensurethatfreshbloodfromthehinterlandswillkeepWash-

ingtonmorehonest,andtheknowledgethattheyhavetogobackhome

afteroneortwotermswillkeepmorerepresentativesontheirtoes.

EconomicPolicy

Jacksoniansalsohavestrongconvictionsoneconomicpolicy.Ifthe
purposeofgovernmentistoservethefolkcommunity(generallyreferred
toinAmericanpoliticsas"theAmericanmiddleclass"),thenthepur-
poseofeconomicpolicyoughttobetoimprovetheeconomicpositionof
themiddleclass. Deficit spendinganda largenationaldebtare bad
things,butfailuretomeettheeconomicneedsofthemiddleclassissub-
stantiallyworse.
FromtheWashingtonadministrationonward,thepoliticalpassions
andenergiesofJacksonianshavebeenconcentratedoneconomicpolicy
issues,withthesteadfastgoalofturningthegovernmentintoaninstru-
mentforenrichingthefolk.Thisdoesnotmean,asitdoesforHamilto-
nians,enrichingtheelite,althoughJacksoniansdon'tbegrudgeletting
theelitegeta tasteifthemiddleclassis treatedwithappropriaterespect.
ThefirsttwopoliticalshocksexperiencedbyJacksoniansunderthe
Constitutionweretheexcisetaxonwhiskeyandthespeculativewind-
fallsthataccruedwhenthenewgovernmentredeemeddepreciatedcur-
rencyatparandassumedthestatedebts.Inanageofbadroadsandsmall
markets,whiskeywastheoneproductoftherural,small-farmer,hog-
and-corneconomythatcommandedamarketpriceworththecostof
transportation.Usingsurpluscorntomakewhiskeywasa chiefsourceof
cashincomeforsmallfarmers;thefederalexcisetaxonitwasseenasdis-
criminatoryandunjustandledtoarmedrebellion.
Worse,wordsoonspreadthatthetaxrevenuewasneededtopayhold-
ersofstateandfederalpaper.UnsophisticatedJacksonianwarveterans,
paidindepreciateddollars,hadlongsincedisposedofwhattheybelieved
tobenear-worthlesspaper.Federalpoliticianshadinformedtheirfriends
backhomeoftheimpendingfiscal measures,allowingwell-connected
speculatorstoreaprewards thatbyrightshouldhavegonetoRevo-
lutionaryWarveterans.Angerattheseandsimilarmeasuresbrought