Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Books
  3. The Classical Foundations of the American Constitution
  • Cited by 24
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
July 2009
Print publication year:
2008
Online ISBN:
9780511511486
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511511486
Subjects:
Legal History, Law, Philosophy, Political Philosophy
Information

Book description

The framers of the American Constitution were substantially influenced by ancient history and classical political theory, as exemplified by their education, the availability of classical readings, and their inculcation in classical republican values. This volume explores how the framing generation deployed classical learning to develop many of the essential structural aspects of the Constitution: federalism, separation of powers, a bicameral legislature, independent courts, and the war and foreign relations powers. Also examined are very contemporary constitutional debates, for which there were classical inspirations, including sovereign immunity, executive privilege, line-item vetoes, and the electoral college. Combining techniques of intellectual history, classical studies, and constitutional interpretation, this book makes a unique contribution to our understanding of contemporary constitutionalism.

Awards

Winner of the Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2009

Reviews

"...this fine book is essential reading for anyone concerned with the origins of the Constitution or the intellectual world that produced it."
--Law and Politics Book Review

"In this innovative and erudite study, Bederman surveys the influence of classical works on the American founding generation. A convincing argument for the Founding Fathers' use of classical ideas is lucidly advance. The book offers a more historically accurate and philosophically coherent argument than other recent volumes on the topic...The author defends the importance of original intent, with limitations, while concluding that the Founders' use of ancient sources was "instrumental and pragmatic."...Highly Recommended..."
--H.L. Cheek Jr., CHOICE

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

Contents

Contents

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Total number of HTML views: 0
Total number of PDF views: 0 *
Loading metrics...

Book summary page views

Total views: 0 *
Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.