Publisher description
One of the genuine classics of American political science literature,
Constitutional Government in the United States is also a subtle and influential
criticism of the American founding fathers produced during the Progressive Era.
Wilson's interpretation of the Constitution shaped the thought of scholars and
students of American politics. His definition of constitutional government and
the place of the United States in the development of constitutional theory
continues to shape discourse today. Wilson discusses the three branches of
government in the United States, the relation between the states and the
federal government and party government in a manner quite distinct from the
founding fathers. Constitutional Government has its origins in a series of
lectures Wilson delivered at Columbia University in 1907. It is carefully
organized around three separate but mutually supporting arguments. First, is
the idea that constitutional government evolves historically from primitive
beginnings of the state toward a universal and ideal form. Second, this idea of historical evolution contains within it an analysis of
how and where the Constitution fits into the evolutionary process as a whole.
Third, the historical thesis itself provides a prescription for bringing
American government, and with it the Constitution, into accord with his first
principle of the ideal form of modern government. In his new introduction,
Sidney A. Pearson explores how, with Constitutional Government in the United
States, Wilson helped create a new genre of political writing using the point
of view of a "literary politician." He discusses Wilson's intention to replace
the constitutional argument of the founders with one of his own based on the
application of Darwinian metaphor in a political science framework. And he
examines the differences between the views launched by Wilson and those set
forth by James Madison in The Federalist. This is an essential work for all
interested in the evolution of American political thought. A classic of American political science, and a subtle criticism of the
American founding fathers produced during the Progressive Era. Woodrow Wilson
discusses the three branches of government in the USA - the state, federal and
party governments - and the relationship between them.
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Constitutional Government in the United States
Book reviews » Constitutional Government in the United States (Library of Liberal Thought)
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