How Did Andrew Jackson's Persuasion Corrupt

In Andrew Jackson’s time, there was a great deal of cultural and political phenomena that made his populist agenda relevant to the people of the United States. For example, one of the prominent concerns among Americans during Jackson’s era was the rampant corruption which had become prominent throughout the Monroe administration. Indeed, during the 1824 election the issue of corruption was of prominent concern, and Jackson’s engagement with the issue helped achieve him a plurality of electoral votes. However, Jackson’s electoral victory was dismissed when the House of Representatives came together to elect John Quincy Adams in a contingent election. The dismissal of Jackson’s victory at the whim of the political establishment seemed to prove Jackson’s and the country’s concerns over the corrupt political elite undermining the interests of the people.

Thus Jackson had pitched himself the champion of the people, he had won the popular vote, but the people’s mandate had been usurped by an allegedly corrupt political elite. Furthermore, whilst president, in 1832 Andrew Jackson faced the renewal of a banking institution deemed to be counter to the interests of the people: the Second Bank of the United States. In the event that the Bank be reinstituted, the Bank would receive exclusive privileges in the legislature granted in favour of financial interests over public interests. Consequentially, this move was viewed by Jackson as counter to the people’s interests, and he executively opposed the bill by vetoing its approval. Thus, Jackson had to operate in a political arena contended by corrupt political elites, and influenced by financial interests at the expense of economic justice for the American