Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1993. [Vol. 1.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 21)
STUDIES - András Tamóc: The Politics of a Cast-Iron Man. John C. Calhoun and His Views on Government.
ominously resembled Hobbes' world. 1 7 He escaped this "nasty, brutish and short" existence by moving to the South. After the French and Indian War he answered the call of civic duty to fight for the plantation gentry's political equality. Patrick Calhoun was also a slave master, an inveterate states' rightist and a bitter opponent of the Constitution. He stubbornly believed in a Jeffersonian limited government with its emphasis on individual freedom. John C. Calhoun's family heritage included the self-reliance of a fierce pioneer, a habitual mistrust of government, a Manichean world view and an unshakeable belief in republicanism. Patrick's legacy was evident in the nullification theory. Nullification was an extreme offspring of republicanism, the idea that government is based on the consent of the governed. The notion of a state's power to abolish a federal law adverse to its economic or political interests, was not only a radical interpretation of the social contract, but a reinforcement of the covenant theory of government. A Manichean perspective was apparent in John's regard of the South as a positive actor fighting a heroic battle against the undemocratic North. Although the elder Calhoun fought in the Revolutionary War, he rejected the Constitution as a blueprint of tyranny. John —like his father —believed in the Union, but saw the repository of popular sovereignty in the states, not in the people. According to Merelman, one's level of political participation is proportional to the degree of egalitarianism he experienced as a child. Consequently, the more children get involved in family decision making, the more they value the power of the vote. Calhoun seems to be an exception, for he grew up in an extremely undemocratic environment. He was not only excluded from the inner circle of family government, but was denied education opportunities until the age of thirteen. Merelman's theory points toward an apolitical adult but Calhoun as an outstanding statesman and political scientist rejects the mold. 1 8 Calhoun's political philosophy was considerably influenced by his school experiences. He started his educational career in the South. In the 1 7 Kenneth M. Dolbeare, American Political Thought (New Jersey: Chatham House Publishers, 1981), p. 17. 1 8 Fred R. Harris, America's Democracy (Glenview: Scott-Foresman Co., 1986), p. 185. 96
