Jeffersonian Model
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The Jeffersonian model is a deviating philosophy of presidential conduct in which the President tries to expand the powers of his office beyond the denoted powers of the executive branch in the U.S. Constitution. First exhibited by Thomas Jefferson, the model is a philosophy of the use of the presidential powers.
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[edit] Presidential philosophy
In the Jeffersonian model, the President often tries to expand his powers outside of the ones denoted in the United States Constitution. There are five presidents considered by many Political Scientists and Historians to be the main contributors to the expansion of the powers of the Executive Branch in the United States. These include:
[edit] Jeffersonian Presidents
Jeffersonian Presidents tend to test the limits of the denoted powers of the President as provided by the U.S. Constitution to more implied powers of the office. Each of the five major Jeffersonian Presidents expanded the office of the Executive Branch in different ways.
[edit] Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson is the namesake of the Jeffersonian model and was the first president to exercise the philosophy. Jefferson's philosophy is best expressed in the Louisiana Purchase. When the French first offered the Louisiana Territory to the United States, there was domestic opposition from the Federalists, who argued the acquisition to not only be a bad foreign policy move, but also unconstitutional. Despite the opposition Thomas Jefferson organized the Louisiana Purchase Treaty and acquired the land. Afterwards, opposition to the move dissolved and supportive legislation was passed to keep and control the territory (see Louisiana Purchase for more details). The ability of the President to authorize the purchase of land was not a denoted power in the United States Constitution but was implied through the ability of a president to make treaties. Despite this overstep of power, Jefferson is considered to be one of the greatest presidents of American history.
[edit] Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson expanded the powers of the Executive Branch through his opposition of the Second chapter of the Bank of the United States. Arguing on several ideological and apposed the bank as an institution which focused the power of finances in the United States on a single institution (see Andrew Jackson for more details). The first president to use the veto power, he indirectly expanded the powers of the Executive Branch in being a major influence on public policy with respect to legislation, making the branch a more powerful check in the system of checks and balances within the United States Government.
[edit] Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, though considered to be one of the greatest presidents of American History, overstepped constitutional powers, arguably, by the greatest degree of the 5 most influential Jeffersonian Presidents. During the American Civil War Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, or the right to a speedy trial, and used it to not only imprison rioters and rebel militias, but also Copperheads and supporters of the Confederate States (see habeas corpus for more details). This breach of constitutional power was unprecedented and presented a more radical interpretation of the Jeffersonian model. This breach of Presidential power is largely thought to be implied through the power of the President as Commander in Chief and was arguably exercised several times after his term ended to the present day.
[edit] Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to intervene on the economy. Wanting to break up several trusts within the US Economy, Teddy Roosevelt issued several lawsuits against trusts and dissolved several of them when Congress failed to act on his agenda. His actions earned him the nickname "Trust Buster", and the practice of Presidents influencing the US Economy is practiced to this day because of his work (see Theodore Roosevelt for more details).
[edit] Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt is arguably the most influential of the Jeffersonian Presidents. The expansion of the powers of the Executive Branch FDR helped to initiate not only greatly increased the influence of the Presidency, but also changed the environment under which it worked. The changes that FDR made to Presidential powers can be divided into 4 categories:
[edit] President as World Leader
Prior to FDR's Presidency the United States took an isolationist stance on foreign policy which can best be seen in the Neutrality Acts. After Pearl Harbor, FDR focused one of his 30 fireside chats on a call to arms against the Axis Powers. Referred to as the "Arsenal of Democracy", the speech is argued to have later led to the development of a standing army, the practice of secrecy within the Executive Branch with respect to other branches, and the practice of using Military Force against malicious invasions. Because of this advance in Presidential Power, the Executive Branch is viewed more than ever as a leader of global foreign policy.
[edit] President as Chief Legislator
In his first 100 days in office, FDR passed an average of 1.2 bills per day, evolving the office of the Executive Branch to a more leading position over the more clerk-like aspects denoted in the constitution.
[edit] President as Guarantor of Economic Prosperity
FDR expanded the work of Theodore Roosevelt by making the President not only the guard against economic failures, but also the promoter of positive economic growth. Through his legislation, FDR created numerous public works projects, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority to increase the number of jobs. He also passed several controversial social programs, such as Social Security, to aid the financial well-being of retired persons. By enacting these programs, FDR helped to expand the Executive Branch's image to one of a protective institution of the American Economy.
[edit] President as a Media Star
Though not the first president to use radio as a means of communication to the citizens of the United States, FDR is thought to be the first president to use the media as a means of influencing legislative policy through public opinion, commonly known as the Congressional Link. Through his fireside chats, FDR put constituent pressure on congressmen to pass legislation FDR and the public favored. This expansion of Executive Branch's powers has been underestimated by some presidential candidates during elections, the most common election cited being John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon, in which special staging of certain debates made Richard Nixon look drastically less appealing on the aesthetic level when compared to the more popular John F. Kennedy. It is argued that this expansion, though influential, has eroded as the availability and variety of technology has evolved; most namely the explosion of the number of different television stations, making it more difficult for presidents to have a 'captive audience' when compared to earlier decades when there were fewer channels. Also a factor in the erosion of the Congressional Link are the several recent scandals surrounding the White House such as the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iran-Contra Affair, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, and Iraq War. This cause the Congressional Link to change into a more negative than positive influence on not only Presidential Approval, but also an impediment to Legislation that is controversial by even the slightest factor. However, FDR was the instigator of the use of the media as a tool of Congressional influence, and whether or not it impedes the effectiveness of the Presidential agenda; it remains an expansion of the Executive Branch's power.
[edit] Strength of Jeffersonian Presidents
Jeffersonian Presidents tend to be the favored candidates in both Presidential Elections and Re-Elections. As can be noted from FDR's 4 terms in office, though their work is often controversial, Jeffersonian Presidents are among the most influential of the Presidents of the United States.
