In this trenchant new interpretation of America's origins; Max Edling shows that the Federalists were primarily concerned with building a government that could act vigorously in defense of American interests. The Constitution transferred the powers of war-making and resource-extraction from the states to the national government; thereby creating a nation-state invested with all the important powers of Europe's eighteenth-century 'fiscal-military states.'A strong centralized government such as this; however; challenged the American people's deeply ingrained distrust of unduly concentrated authority. To secure the Constitution's adoption in the face of this inherent suspicion; the Federalists had to balance the formation of a powerful national government with the strong current of anti-statism in the American political tradition. They did so; Edling argues; by designing a government that would be powerful in times of crisis; but which would make only limited demands on the citizenry and have a sharply restricted presence in society. Taking advantage of a newly published letterpress edition of the constitutional debates; A Revolution in Favor of Government recovers a neglected strand of the Federalist argument; making a persuasive case for rethinking the formation of the federal American state.
#78644 in Books 2008-11-14Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.00 x .70 x 9.10l; #File Name: 0195339223416 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not good for general readersBy KCThe reason I picked up this book was clear. I wanted to know how Japan could be the only country that was successfully converted to the industrialized nation among the other Asian countries in the era. Therefore; my focus was on the times around Meiji Restoration. In that perspective; I didn't feel this book answered my question satisfactorily. I hoped to learn the modernization process of Japan in relation to other neighboring countries; China and Korea; but I couldn't find much about it. It covers broad spectrum of the social/political conditions of modern Japan; but overall; the way it was written is very dry and monotonous. Like the other reviewer mentioned; this book reads like college textbook; and it will fit good for that purpose.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy CustomerA brilliantly written masterpiece of Japanese history since the modern era. Best for college students and interested scholars.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. StudyBy sarah nailGreat price on college books. They arrive in 2 days with prime.
