Which of the following statements is true?
a The Election of 1824 is referred to as the “corrupt bargain.”
b In the Election of 1800 and of 1824, the winner of the popular vote did not secure the electoral vote.
c As a result of the Election of 1824, a constitutional amendment clarifying the Electoral College was ratified.
d The Electoral College was created at the onset of our constitution to encourage all eligible persons to vote directly for the president of their choice.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a: The Election of 1824 is referred to as the “corrupt bargain.”
Explanation:
The Election of 1824 was one of the most contentious and controversial elections in U.S. history. The candidates were John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay. Jackson won the most popular votes and the most electoral votes, but he did not have the majority of electoral votes needed to win outright, which sent the election to the House of Representatives, as mandated by the 12th Amendment to the Constitution.
In the House, John Quincy Adams was elected president after a deal was allegedly struck between him and Henry Clay, who was the Speaker of the House. Clay, who had been eliminated from the race, threw his support behind Adams. After Adams won the presidency, he appointed Clay as his Secretary of State. This arrangement led many, particularly Andrew Jackson’s supporters, to accuse Adams and Clay of striking a “corrupt bargain,” claiming that they had made a backroom deal to secure Adams’ victory in exchange for Clay’s appointment.
Other options:
- b is partially true but misleading. In the Election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson did not win the popular vote outright, but in 1824, Andrew Jackson won both the popular and electoral votes, though not enough to secure an outright win.
- c is incorrect. The Election of 1824 did not lead to a constitutional amendment. The issue of the Electoral College was addressed in later years, particularly with the 12th Amendment and other reforms, but not as a direct result of the 1824 election.
- d is false. The Electoral College was created to balance the influence of states and prevent large states from dominating the election process, not to encourage direct voting by the people. The intent was to have electors who could make a more informed decision than the general public.
The controversy surrounding the 1824 election left a lasting impact on U.S. politics, setting the stage for the rise of the Jacksonian democracy and the political parties that followed.