Of his own election in 1800, Thomas Jefferson famously said, it “was as real a revolution in the principles of our government as that of 1776 was in its form.” By this interpretation, the partisan contest of 1800 was the culmination of the disputes of the 1790s in that it was as much a contest over the meaning of the new Constitution as a fight over who would rule. When, as he put it, the “mighty wave of public opinion” had rolled, Jefferson's Republican Party was proven to be the people's party, just as the Revolution of 1776 had declared the people's opposition to England's form of government. “The nation declared its will by dismissing functionaries of one principle, and electing those of another.” As certain as he was that there were two parties in nature, and that one party was for the people and the other against the people, Jefferson believed the Revolution of 1800 was a victory for a reading of the Constitution that would be more favorable to popular government.

Central to this transformation of executive power was changing the form of the inaugural address in order to meet the educative requirement of democratic leadership. Although democratic government is government by the majority will, majorities are comprised of citizens who need to have those very principles explained to them.