Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were the first of the nineteenth century Presidents of the United States. During their presidencies, the most dominate political parties were the Jeffersonian Republicans and the Federalists. Before the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison, the Jeffersonian Republicans were known as strict constructionists. They were supporters of the rights of states and the restriction of federal powers. They only believed that the government had the powers that were enumerated and explicitly written within the Constitution. On the other hand, the Federalists were known as broad constructionists before the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. The Federalists were supporters of the growth of federal power and a strong central government. They believed in the Elastic Clause, which allowed the Constitution to be up to individual interpretation. With this, the Federalists gave the government powers that could only be implied-these powers were not explicitly written in the Constitution. These characterizations of the Jeffersonian Republicans and Federalists were quite accurate up until the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. During their presidencies, these characterizations became inaccurate in some ways. The Jeffersonian Republicans showed signs of broad constructionism and the Federalists showed signs of strict constructionism. These changes in constructionist views were caused by westward expansion, foreign relations and judicial issues. .
In the late eighteenth century, more specifically the seventeen nineties, the Federalists believed in having a strong national government. This would come with a centralized authority, a complex commercial economy, and a proud standing in world affairs. The Federalist Party was led by Alexander Hamilton. Their most well-known use of the Elastic Clause was the creation of a national bank. This bank provided a safe place for federal funds and helped to collect taxes.
