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James K. Pocks Vs Andrew Jackson
The presidency of the United States is without a doubt one of the most powerful offices in the world (“History & Grounds”). Over the course of the country’s history, it has been occupied by more than forty leaders, including James K. Pocks and Andrew Jackson. The two had numerous similarities and differences not only from their style of leadership but also political affiliations.
They were similar in some ways. Firstly, they were both extremely aggressive politicians. Both were able to achieve great feats by pushing for their agendas. Jackson often used the presidential veto powers to pass key decisions on policy (“History & Grounds”), like democratizing federal office-holding. Likewise, Pocks fought for American interest aggressively and in his term was able to cede the territories of New Mexico and California from Mexico (Summers). Secondly, they both served for only one term. Pocks never contested for a second one and died soon after leaving office (Pinheiro). Adams, however, lost his re-election bid at the hands of his Thomas Jefferson- his great rival who then became the third president.
On the other hand, the two were quite different from each other, more so in the way they operated. Jackson was a prominent public figure. He was very well known thanks to his active role in the military and conquests as a general (“Andrew Jackson’s Firsts”). He won admiration and following throughout the nation, giving him a platform that propelled him to the presidency (Feller).

In contrast, Pocks operated mostly in covert ways and was relatively unknown before being elected to the presidency. In fact, he was mainly elected due to his political stance rather than name recognition. The two also had different political views. Pocks were heavily allied with the Democratic Party and its ideology. Despite being elected on a similar ticket, Jackson was radical who divided public opinion on both ends of the political divide. The former was also a proponent of state rights while the latter firmly believed in a powerful federal government (Pinheiro).
History has proven that regardless of or due to their similarities and differences, these two leaders were able to lead the USA through crucial periods on nation-building. Each of them played an important role in leading an emerging country into the present day superpower.
Works Cited
“Andrew Jackson’s Firsts” A&E Networks. History.com n.d. Web 28 November 2015.
Feller, Daniel. “Andrew Jackson: Life in Brief.” The University of Virginia. Miller Center. n.d Web 28 November 2015.
“History & Grounds: Andrew Jackson.” USA government. Whitehouse.gov. n.d. Web 28
November 2015.
Pinheiro, John. “James Polk.” The University of Virginia. Miller Center, n.d Web. 28 November 2015
Summers, Robert. “James Knox Polk: 11th President of the United States.” n.p. Presidents of the United States (POTUS). n.d.Web. 28 November 2015.