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Why did Jefferson strongly oppose Hamilton's fiscal policies?

User Quazi
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Final answer:

Jefferson opposed Hamilton's fiscal policies for favoring speculators and economic classes at the expense of common citizens, and for overstepping constitutional bounds by creating a national bank, which conflicted with his vision of an agrarian-based republic.

Step-by-step explanation:

Thomas Jefferson strongly opposed Alexander Hamilton's fiscal policies because he believed they favored certain economic classes and were detrimental to the agrarian sector, which he considered the backbone of America. Jefferson, along with James Madison, believed Hamilton's plan would increase economic inequalities by turning the reins of government over to speculators who profited at the expense of the common people, particularly war veterans who had sold their bonds at low prices. Furthermore, they both argued that Hamilton's proposals, such as the creation of a national bank, overstepped the bounds of the federal government's powers as defined by the Constitution (strict constructionism), a viewpoint that Hamilton disagreed with. Jefferson's belief in a rural agrarian society as the ideal foundation for the republic clashed with Hamilton's vision of a strong centralized government and a financially powerful urban commercial class.

User Carito
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