Nature and History in American Political Development
eBook - PDF

Nature and History in American Political Development

A Debate

  1. 240 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Nature and History in American Political Development

A Debate

About this book

In this inaugural volume of the Alexis de Tocqueville Lectures, political scientist James Ceaser traces the way certain ideas, including nature, history, and religion—which he calls foundational ideas—have been understood and used by statesmen and public intellectuals over the course of American history, from the Puritans to the current day. Ceaser treats these ideas not as pure concepts of philosophy or theology, but rather as elements of political discourse that provide the ground or ultimate appeal for other political ideas, such as liberty or equality. At times, they have critically influenced the course of American political development, offering various opportunities and constraints for political leaders. Ceaser traces the histories of these ideas and their relation to other ideas, to practices, and to the fortunes of successive partisan regimes. Three critical commentators—historian Jack Rakove and political theorists Nancy Rosenblum and Rogers Smith—challenge Ceaser's arguments in several ways. They suggest that other ideas may be considered foundational, and they prod him to clarify further how foundational ideas work politically. Ceaser responds with vigor, and the result is a spirited debate about large and enduring questions in American politics.

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Information

Publisher
Harvard University Press
Year
2009
Print ISBN
9780674027237
9780674021587
eBook ISBN
9780674029309
Topic
Business
Subtopic
Business General
Index
Business

Table of contents

  1. Contents
  2. Foreword by Theda R. Skocpol
  3. 1. Foundational Concepts and American Political Development
  4. 2. Can We Know a Foundational Idea When We See One?
  5. 3. Replacing Foundations with Staging: “Second-Story” Concepts and American Political Development
  6. 4. What If God Was One of Us? The Challenges of Studying Foundational Political Concepts
  7. 5. Foundational Concepts Reconsidered
  8. Notes
  9. About the Authors
  10. Index

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Yes, you can access Nature and History in American Political Development by James W. Ceaser,James W CEASER,Jack N Rakove,Nancy L Rosenblum,Rogers M Smith in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Business & Business General. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.