RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Everyone has him pretty well pegged. You either love him or despise him. He did not stand on ceremony and did not brook much opposition. You could get away with that in the 19th Century. How long would he last today? Could you imagine Andy Jackson at a press conference? About half a dozen would be challenged to a duel by the end of the session!

Brought in universal male suffrage, but also created a constitutional crisis by simply ignoring the supreme court's ruling about the enforceability of treaties with Indians.

Andrew Jackson, while typically not given incredibly high marks, is clearly an overrated president. While he is remembered for representing the interests of the common man, his actions as president did very little to improve the lot of the average American. In fact, his stubborn economic policies and battle against the Bank of the United States virtually crippled the American economy, leading to the worst economic depression in history at that time. As president, he initiated the rarest form of class warfare and sought to punish the wealthiest of society, something that actually hurt the lower classes in the long run. While he was well-intentioned, Jackson's actions did very little to eliminate the corrupt political machinery of his time, and if anything, his actions actually expanded corruption in government. His ruthless policy on Native Americans was a shameful mark on our history and led to the death of hundreds of innocent Native Americans over a decade. His greatest accomplishment as President was averting the succession of South Carolina and keeping the Union intact. However, this primary challenge could have been avoided had Jackson not been so stubborn in establishing unreasonably high tarrifs on southern states. Overall, Jackson was no different than those who preceded him and did little but stir up trouble in Washington and throughout the country.