Chapter 9: The Jefferson Era

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Chapter 9 The Jefferson Era

• Section 1 Republicans in Power

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Thomas Jefferson

• 3rd U.S. President
• Republican
• Felt the Federalists had made the federal
  government too strong

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Jefferson wanted to reduce the federal government

• Cut the federal budget
• Lower taxes

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Laissez faire

• French for let alone
• Government should play as small a role as
  possible in economic affairs.

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Adam Smith

• Scottish economist and philosopher
• Published The Wealth of Nations (1776)
• Believed in laissez-faire economics.
• Market forces, operating without government
  interference, would naturally work for
  self-interest and therefore for the good of all.

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Limiting Federal Power

• Jefferson tried to reduce the role of government
  in peoples lives.
• decreased the size of gov. departments
• cut the federal budget
• asked Congress to repeal the unpopular Whiskey tax

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Fast fact

• When Thomas Jefferson became President in 1801,
  there were fewer than 1,000 federal employees.
  Today, the United States government employs more
  than 2 million people not counting those in the
  armed services (Davidson Stoff, p269, 1995).

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Predicting

• Do you think in the future of the United States
  the federal government will gain more or less
  control over its citizens daily lives?
• Why do you think this?

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What do you think?

• Does the federal government have too much power
  today or not enough?
• What are some examples?
• Should the federal government have more control
  over the economy, or should it practice laissez
  faire economics? Why?