Jacksonian Democracy refers to the social and political ideas that shaped the period encompassing Andrew Jackson's presidency (1829-1837).  Jacksonian Democracy reflects an attempt to approach as closely as possible the literal meaning of the famous phrase "of the people, by the people, and for the people."  The central focus of Jacksonian Democracy was the idea that the people should have greater power in government.  In addition, the measures undertaken to elevate the common man's influence also served to create a greater sense of equality:  equality of opportunity.  

Before this period, not all white men could vote, much less the other sections of the population. In Jacksonian Democracy, the landholding requirement for voting rights was lifted.  White men did not have to own land to enjoy the right to vote.  Doing this granted the common person the same opportunity to influence government policy as more affluent members of society.  In addition, requirements for admission into more specialized occupations were relaxed a great deal.  Common people had the opportunity to become doctors or lawyers without having to jump through too many hoops.  The impact of these measures cannot be overestimated.  It was not until the Jacksonian period that candidates even found it necessary to campaign.  Since the average person enjoyed the same voting status as more affluent citizens, their opinions could no longer be ignored.

Jacksonian Democracy, in many ways, reflects a continuation and expansion on ideas already present in Jeffersonian Democracy. Jeffersonian Democracy, unlike its Jacksonian Democracy counterpart, did not extend voting rights to many citizens.  Under Jeffersonian Democracy, voters still needed to meet certain landholding requirements, but those requirements were more relaxed than they had been.  In addition, Jeffersonian Democracy sought to offer greater economic opportunities to common farmers, something that Jacksonian Democracy continued to carry forward.

Jacksonian Democracy refers to the political ideology that prevailed in the period of Andrew Jackson's presidency (1829-1837).  It sought to live up to the words:  "of the people, by the people, and for the people."  To that end, voting restrictions were lifted, so that all white men, regardless of property ownership, were granted the right to vote.  In addition, requirements for admission into specialized professions, particularly law and medicine, were greatly lessened. All of the changes and modifications to the politics in the 1830s sought to increase the freedom of the people - to grant them greater power in the political realm.  This freedom, however, does not guarantee success; it only guarantees freedom of opportunity.  Being successful meant taking advantage of that opportunity.

In many ways, Jacksonian Democracy extended Jeffersonian Democracy.  In the Jeffersonian period, the landholding requirement for voting was lessened, but it still remained.  At the same time, Jefferson's policies sought to increase the ability of the average person to be successful in the American economy.  Jacksonian Democracy sought to make this reality a greater possibility; it provided even more opportunity for the individual to succeed than Jeffersonian Democracy.

Jacksonian Democracy refers to the political outlook characteristic of the period of Andrew Jackson's presidency (1829-1837).  The greatest difference between Jeffersonian Democracy and Jacksonian Democracy is that the latter expanded on the idea "of the people, by the people, and for the people."  Jeffersonian Democracy, though it was modeled on this idea, also restricted this statement to mean certain individuals.  Jacksonian Democracy removed many of these restrictions, including those concerning the restriction of voting privileges to landholding individuals.  Though Jefferson did reduce the restrictions on the amount of land one must own before earning the right to vote, he did not do away with the landholding requirement altogether.  Jacksonian Democracy completely removed the landholding requirement, allowing Jacksonian society to approach the idea behind the above statement to a much greater degree.  More of the population could exercise their rights than in previous years. It was only at this time that candidates actually campaigned for office; before that, it really did not matter what the public had to say.

The political changes wrought by Jacksonian Democracy also extended to the social and economic realm.  The increased political opportunity for the people generally translated into greater economic opportunity.  Though it did not guarantee economic success - and success was certainly the exception rather than the rule - it gave the people the opportunity to "pursue happiness."  Like Jeffersonian Democracy, Jacksonian Democracy could not overcome the simple fact that most did not have the means to take advantage of the opportunities afforded them.  Socially, the requirements for pursuing specialized occupations such as law and medicine were greatly reduced, allowing more people to seek those careers.  The most fundamental difference between Jacksonian Democracy and Jeffersonian Democracy is that the former expanded on the ideas of the latter, ultimately approaching the words of the Constitution more closely than in the previous decades.

What was Jacksonian Democracy? How did it differ from Jeffersonian Democracy?

As the name implies, Jacksonian Democracy refers to government policies during the period of Andrew Jackson's presidency (1829-1837). Jacksonian Democracy, however, is much more than that. In some sense, it directly mirrors the idea of democracy espoused by the Founding Fathers. Originally, the Founders defined democracy as “direct rule by the people.” In the Jacksonian period, this idea was taken even further. Those who supported the idea saw the people as sovereign, a sovereignty unmitigated by a "natural aristocracy." Conservatives tended to show distrust of the people (the wisdom of the common folk). The greatest difference between the Jacksonian period and that of the Founding Fathers is that the people (read white males) no longer had restrictions on suffrage. They had much greater say in the course of government. Under Jeffersonian Democracy, only certain parts of the population could exercise their right to vote. Those who did not own land could not vote. The land requirement was lowered under Jeffersonian Democracy, but it was still greatly restrictive.

In economic matters, the equality promised by Jacksonian Democracy did not guarantee that everyone would prosper equally. It did not promise equality of reward; it promised equality of opportunity. In Jeffersonian Democracy, the equality of opportunity was not even a guarantee. For this reason, the natural aristocracy would always remain a part of American society under Jeffersonian Democracy.

Andrew Jackson was the first president to acknowledge the importance of campaigning - appealing directly to the people. Jackson clearly understood the power of public opinion. Jefferson, though he supported smaller business and cared for the economic interests of the people, did not show the same confidence in the views of the people.