The Several Elections of 1824

Abstract

In recent years, political pundits across America were excited by the prospect that Ross Perot's presidential candidacies could prompt a rare event in U.S. presidential elections: the lack of an electoral college majority by any of the three major presidential candidates. Searching for a historical precedent, observers recalled the election of 1824, as this was the last U.S. presidential election decided by the House of Representatives rather than the Electoral College (which failed to produce a majority winner). The standard interpretation of the 1824 elections resurfaced – that it was personality, not issues, that mattered most and that the election was stolen from the popular vote winner. Here, a different interpretation of the 1824 election is offered, one which has implications for contemporary campaigns as well. The 1824 election was fought over issues that were regionally, not nationally, defined and was unique for the presence of four viable candidates. Consequently, a House election is only likel...