Question

AP US History question:

Before he was president, Thomas Jefferson believed that a strict interpretation of the Constitution firmly bound the actions of the federal government. To what extent did Jefferson adhere to this belief during his two terms in office?

Answer 1

Jefferson, although he claimed to be a strict interpreter of the US Constitution, definitely took to executive actions himself that he would have frowned upon earlier, such as unilaterally purchasing the Louisiana Territory and going to war off the coast of North Africa.