When Andrew Jackson was elected president in 1828, he claimed to represent the “common man”. Jackson’s belief was that power should reside with the working man, and the idea of spreading power to all men through majority rule became known as “Jacksonian Democracy”. Large numbers of farmers and working men voted for him. He was famous for being the hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 which also helped him win the presidency. Jackson believed in limited government but with a strong president.