I am not sure that the Founders had this in mind. They were, after all, mebers of an elite class. But is was an aristocracy different from the aristocracies of Europe, an aristocracy drawn from the “striving classes.” rather than settled wealth. The notion of citizen-president was a Jacksonian idea. And if one looks at the list of Presidents from Jackson on down, you see that they are drawn seldom from the people but also seldom from the top tier. What concerns me know is that we are closer to become a plutocracy. Fifty years ago, Washington was not a major center of financial power. Now it seems to be overshadowing New York itself, as New York overshadowed the rest of the country, and after the First World War, the world.
No. They weren't. John Adams was born into a middle class family and Franklins father made candles and soap. Sam Adams father was a merchant. Prosperous but a merchant. Quit listening to liberals. These men were NOT "aristocracy" but simply Americans.