1800's Presidental Election
By Jenna Gibson
Thomas Jefferson For the Win!
We need a leader, a president, that supports a strong state government and a strict construction of the Constitution for this blossoming country we call the United States. Who better to do that than Thomas Jefferson? A republican, Jefferson would be the perfect representative for our country.
Power to the State Governments
Jefferson believes that the national government should be weak and that state government should have power. This way, the national government doesn't infringe on people's basic human rights, considering the state government would do a better job at protecting them. Having a strong national government may be the death of the United States. The entire reason we split off from Great Britain was because of the overly strong and controlling government, and giving too much power to the national government would be a terrible mistake.
Strict Construction of the Constitution
Being a republican, Jefferson also wants strict construction of the Constitution, meaning that the national government can only do what is listed in the constitution and not anything beyond that. This will keep the government in check and make sure they don't try anything unconstitutional. With a loose construction, people's rights are in danger. During John Adams presidency, a number of people were arrested for criticizing the president, and their freedom of speech and press were neglected because the government passed a law prohibiting hateful speech towards the president (which was unconstitutional). With Jefferson in office, this won't be accepted.