One of the things that President Johnson did that stunned political backers after he took office was that he dramatically changed his views on Reconstruction, since he proved to be far more lenient on the South than he had implied he would be.
Why quit our own to Stand upon Foreign ground? It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent Alliances with any portion of the foreign world.....'
-George Washington
He tried to cut federal budget, tried to reduce federal debt, and he decreased the size of government departments.
Hope this helps!
