What political doctrine did John C. Calhoun promote regarding states' rights?

John C. Calhoun strongly advocated for the doctrine of nullification, which posited that states have the right to reject federal laws they believe are unconstitutional. This doctrine emerged in the early 19th century as a response to what Calhoun and other Southern leaders viewed as overreach by the federal government, particularly concerning issues such as tariffs that they believed unfairly favored Northern interests at the expense of the South.

Calhoun's philosophy was rooted in the belief that the federal government was a creation of the states and that states retained sovereignty over their own affairs. The nullification doctrine represented an extreme interpretation of states' rights, where states could unilaterally determine the legitimacy of federal laws and could refuse to enforce them. This was seen most notably in the Nullification Crisis of the 1830s, when South Carolina attempted to nullify federal tariffs, leading to a significant political confrontation.

This focus on state sovereignty and the ability to challenge federal authority distinguishes Calhoun's views from other political doctrines. Federalism, for example, involves a balance of power between state and federal governments rather than the supremacy of state rights. Republicanism emphasizes a government accountable to the people and does not align specifically with the nullification doctrine. Democratic Social