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Difficulty: MediumJacksonian Democracy and the Second Party System

Read the excerpt below.

"But the President has also discovered that the constitutionality of a bank of the United States is not a decided question... He claims for the Executive the right of judging of the Constitution, in every demand, and of every law, not only independently of the Judiciary, but independently of all former decisions of his predecessors, and of the Legislature... If this be so, the Constitution is no longer the supreme law of the land, but the will of one man."
— Senator Daniel Webster, Senate Speech, 1832

The arguments expressed in the excerpt by Daniel Webster most directly reflect which of the following core debates between the Whig and Democratic parties during the Second Party System?

  1. The appropriate balance of power between the executive branch and the legislatureAnswer
  2. B
    The supremacy of federal court rulings over state-level laws
  3. C
    The federal government's authority to fund regional transportation projects
  4. D
    The constitutional interpretation of strict versus loose construction regarding the power to tax

Answer

The appropriate balance of power between the executive branch and the legislature
The correct answer is correct because Daniel Webster's speech directly addresses the expansion of presidential authority under Andrew Jackson. The Whig Party was established largely in response to Jackson's aggressive use of executive power, such as his veto of the Second Bank of the United States recharter, which Whigs argued threatened the system of checks and balances by elevating the executive branch over Congress and the courts.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the author's primary concern.
Daniel Webster is criticizing the President (Andrew Jackson) for claiming the right to interpret the Constitution independently of the legislature and judiciary, warning of 'executive supremacy' and the 'will of one man.'
Understanding the source's main argument is necessary to connect it to the political debates of the era.
2
Contextualize the document within the Second Party System (1830s).
The Whig Party (represented by Webster) formed largely in opposition to Jackson's perceived executive overreach, particularly his extensive use of the veto (e.g., the Bank Veto of 1832).
Placing the speech in its historical context helps identify the underlying ideological clash between the Whigs and Democrats.
3
Evaluate the options against the analyzed argument and context.
The debate over executive supremacy versus legislative authority matches Webster's warning about the 'will of one man' undermining the legislature.
This step identifies the correct answer by linking Webster's specific complaint to the general party division over presidential power.

Key Concept

Executive Power and the Rise of the Whig Party
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Topics

Jacksonian Democracy and the Second Party System

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