Excerpt from Principles of Politics, From the Viewpoint of the American Citizen It is the purpose of this volume to explain as simply as possible from the viewpoint of the thoughtful American citizen the principles by which political action is in the main guided in the United States and in other countries similarly situated. This material was prepared originally as a course of lectures to be given on the George Blumenthal Foundation at Columbia University in the fall and winter of 1907. The lectures are printed substantially as given, so far as substance and arrangement are concerned. If in any way they are to be distinguished from other writings on similar topics, it is in the effort to bring into closer touch than is usual the work of the scholar and of the practical man of affairs. Too often students in our Universities take the courses in economics and in politics without becoming fully conscious of the fact that the topics that they are studying are those which concern actual living conditions, and that if they are thoroughly understood they may prove helpful later in the business of life. Unfortunately, the men who write books on economic and political topics too frequently base their studies only on other books written by men who likewise have not had practical experience. In consequence, such studies at times lack touch with actual life. On the other hand, the men who do business and those who are active in guiding the affairs of state comparatively seldom write out in detail their methods of work and the principles by which their activities are guided. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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Questions at the very heart of the American experiment—about what the nation is and who its people are—have lately assumed a new, even violent urgency. As the most fundamental aspects of American citizenship and constitutionalism come under ever more powerful pressure, and as the nation’s politics increasingly give way to divisive, partisan extremes, this book responds to the critical political challenge of our time: the need to return to some conception of shared principles as a basis for citizenship and a foundation for orderly governance. In various ways and from various perspectives, this volume’s authors locate these principles in the American practice of citizenship and constitutionalism. Chapters in the book’s first part address critical questions about the nature of U.S. citizenship; subsequent essays propose a rethinking of traditional notions of citizenship in light of the new challenges facing the country. With historical and theoretical insights drawn from a variety of sources—ranging from Montesquieu, John Adams, and Henry Clay to the transcendentalists, Cherokee freedmen, and modern identitarians—American Citizenship and Constitutionalism in Principle and Practice makes the case that American constitutionalism, as shaped by several centuries of experience, can ground a shared notion of American citizenship. To achieve widespread agreement in our fractured polity, this notion may have to be based on “thin” political principles, the authors concede; yet this does not rule out the possibility of political community. By articulating notions of citizenship and constitutionalism that are both achievable and capable of fostering solidarity and a common sense of purpose, this timely volume drafts a blueprint for the building of a genuinely shared political future.