Title: Democratic Republicans and Federalists' Interpretation of the Constitution Essay - 798 Words
Headings: Democratic Republicans and Federalists' Interpretation of the Constitution
Democratic Republicans and Federalists' Interpretation of the Constitution
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Content: It would appear that the assertion that Democratic - Republicans were strict interpreters of the Constitution while Federalists were not are only somewhat accurate. The Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval is of particular interest because Jefferson outright states “...I know also, that the laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind”. This is somewhat different from the traditional image of Jefferson interpreting the constitution as absolute under any circumstances. The fact that he himself writes that the constitution must be adapted to the times suggest that Jefferson, like the Democratic - Republican party as a whole, was not such an absolutist. Jefferson also states that “I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions ...” which would seem to indicate that He also believed that a change to the constitution was a serious thing not to be taken lightly much like the historical image of the Democratic - Republicans. Jefferson believed that amendments would eventually become necessary to preserve the constitution as a credible document, however he also believed such changes should only be made when absolutely necessary. The fact that this idea about the constitution (that it was...
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Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans Essay
...creating the first of the political parties; the Federalists and the Democratic - Republicans. Although the Federalists and the Democratic - Republicans ideology and stances on the power of the federal government, domestic economic policies and the group of constituents they represented differed vastly, members of both parties often compromised their own beliefs for the nation’s best interest as a whole. The limitations on the amount of power the federal government should possess was one of the most prevalent conflicts between the Federalists and the Democratic - Republicans.