Book Review - The Concept of Jacksonian Democracy: New York as a Test Case
In The Concept of Jacksonian Democracy: New York as a Test Case, Lee Benson performs a unique and progressive study of the political culture of New York State in the 19th century. Through his work, Benson presents his central thesis: there was no true "Jacksonian" democracy; the author finds the idea "sterile and deceptive" (Benson, 1961). Benson distrusted the prevailing narrative regarding Jacksonian democracy, in which economic status was the indicator of partisanship, in favor of a much more complex focus on ethnicity and religious affiliation. In short, Benson seeks to correct what he feels is a grievous error with regards to how ...