Comparing Jefferson And Alexander Hamilton

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The political parties of today have been shaped through the political parties that were born at the beginning of our country. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton are two prominent figures who were deeply involved in the development of the United States. Hamilton was a Federalist who supported the Constitution we have today while Jefferson was a Republican who did not want a strong central government. The ideas of both parties can still be seen today in the current system amongst the two political parties. Federalists are known for supporting a strong central government. They have “loose” interpretations of the Constitution which illudes that they are flexible when interpreting laws. Federalists are typically pro-commerce and manufacturing, …show more content…

Jefferson’s agrarian ideas have been pushed far aside in today’s world. The United States is far from an agriculture society and has definitely followed Hamilton’s ideas of pro-commerce and manufacturing. We can see this in our everyday lives; most people we know are not farmers, but office workers working for businesses of mass production. There is also our federal government which is a powerful government just as the Federalists wanted. It might be stronger than what the founders intended, but it is still the same principle. An example of this would be the ruling done last year by the Supreme Court allowing same-sex marriages nationwide. Originally, this was something the individual states decided, but now each state has to follow the law made by the federal government. Our government today also follows order and stability. There are so many regulations and laws today it would probably be overwhelming for the Federalists of Hamilton’s time. The government today is very “organized” in the sense that there is a process for everything from obtaining a driver’s license to filing for bankruptcy. Whether you are the one requesting the driver’s license or the judge granting the bankruptcy, there is an order that must be followed. The one place where the Federalists and Republicans could overlap would be in the interpretation of the Constitution. There are times where the laws are loosely interpreted and other times where they are strictly interpreted. It is normal for us to see celebrities or people with money get off from crimes easier than those who do not have money. In those situations, laws are “loosely” interpreted. For those of us who do not have the luxury of extra cash in our bank accounts, we have

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