Subjects:  1. Congresses    2. Economic development    3. History & Theory - General    4. Nationalism    5. Political Science    6. Political development    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Policy - Economic Policy    9. Public Policy - Social Policy    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - General    12. State, The    13. Constitution: government & the state    14. International relations    15. Political science & theory   

Reviews (2)

Excelent book!
From the father of Positivism, this book explores the true nature of the norm and the role it plays in relation to state and society. Excellent analysis of positivist normativity. The Corner Stone of Law and State Philosophy
This book rediscovers the most important elements of Law, provinding Neo-Kantian theory aplied to Law and State. Altough, it is one of the most important law books written in the 20th Century, one must prior have read"The Pure Theory of law" in order to come about to a thoroughunderstanding of this manificent pice of art. It has been heavillycriticized by those who follow "The Naturist Theory" and mostlyby dogmatic waves, including the Catholic Church, for it proves thatrelativism refers to Democracy and Republic, and dogmaticism referes toDictatorship. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. International    2. International law    3. Jurisprudence    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Philosophy    7. State, The    8. Constitution: government & the state    9. Jurisprudence & General Issues    10. Law / General   

Subjects:  1. Accounting - Governmental    2. General    3. International Relations - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Constitution: government & the state    8. Latin America   

Reviews (3)

The Real Jefferson, Not the Reinvented One
I've always maintained that the best way to understand the founders is to understand them on their on terms. Mayer believes this too and does an excellent job at profiling the constitutional thought of Jefferson and his political philosophy. Too often, shoddy partisan scholarship like that of Richard Matthews gets it quite wrong on the founders. They do so quite purposefully choosing to dwell statically on one quote or episode instead of objectively highlighting the development of their subject. Mayer explains Jefferson on his own terms, as "whig," "federal," and "republican," hence his First Inaugural Address. Jefferson was an adament defender of federalism, state's rights and the Constitution. His alleged "radical egalitarianism" was more than tempered by his mistrust of central government and the huddled urban masses and his rejection of majoritarian tyranny. "Democracy is not practicable beyond the limits of a town," avows Jefferson. Despite his occasional contradictions, his early tenacity of youth and sympathies with the French Revolution, he was a true Whig and a classical republican, and advocate of limited government. He is an enduring founding father who deserves careful study and admiration for his statesmanship. Excellent
This is indeed the finest study of Jefferson's political thought to date.Unlike other authors, Mayer penetrates to the core of Jefferson's political philosophy, revealing him to be fundamentally a "real whig," withemphasis on his distrust of government.

Valuable resource for Thomas Jefferson historians
Having consumed most of the recent volumes on the life and times of ourthird president, I would have to say that Mayer's book is one of thestrongest when it comes to the concrete exploration of his politicalthought processes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. General    3. Politics/International Relations    4. United States - Revolutionary War    5. Constitution: government & the state    6. Political science & theory    7. USA   

Reviews (3)

Ayubi is the worst writter I have ever read
This book is awful. His writing style is arrogant and wordy, deliberately confusing, and completely inaccessible. It's as though he's getting paid by the word, and the last thing he wants is for anybody to understand what he's saying. A truly painful reading experience. Very few practical examples of the broad, Marxist claims he is making, and very irritating textual citations every second sentence that make reading it about as fun as a root canal.
Perhaps the definitive work on the Arab State
Overstating the Arab State is the ironic title that Nazih Ayubi has chosen for his 'state' centered and Gramscian informed study of the nature of the Arab State in terms of its bureaucratic and interventionist development.The title also alludes to the overestimation of the actual power and strength of the Arab State.Ayubi has suggested that Arab states have been wrongly categorized as 'strong'; whereas, they are weak in terms of their extractive capacity, institutional strength and ideology. It is an excellent book.
Nazih N. Ayubi makes a good analysis of the point. He gives both the historical background and the contemporary aspects of the issue. Instead of giving useless details, he focuses on the necessary aspects. the order ofthe book, the language, the level of the knowledge about the geographicalarea, which is of the interest are all perfect. If you are studying thearab states, the middle east or similar issues, you have to read it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. International Relations - General    2. Political Process - General    3. Politics / Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Constitution: government & the state    6. Middle East    7. Political Science / General    8. Political economy    9. Political science & theory   

Subjects:  1. 1603-1625    2. Early works to 1800    3. General    4. Great Britain    5. History & Surveys - Medieval    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Sources    11. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    12. British Isles    13. Constitution: government & the state    14. History of ideas, intellectual history    15. Political Science / Reference    16. Political science--Early works to 1800   

Reviews (4)

Did they hold those truth to be self evident?
One of the first books about the US Civil War I've read was Don Fehrenbacher's The Dred Scot Case.That book, among my favourite all time history books, made it all but certain that I would eventually seek more of his works. An outstanding work of constitutional-political history
Fehrenbacher begins his account of the federal government's relation to slavery with a plain thesis: that the constitution was not intended to really protect slavery, that it was to be neutral on the subject and leave any regulation of slavery to the states. Fehrenbacher starts from this point and explores the relationship in a number of contexts including the national capital, the slave trade, and foreign relations (the most interesting chapter of this work). Throughout the work he demonstrates how the southern interest in slavery dominated the federal government in practically every aspect, even in administrations of presidents who were morally opposed to slavery (J.Q. Adams). This dominance of the slavery interest pre-1860 is used to explain the knee jerk hostility that the South had to the Republican party. The fairly benign opposition that the Republicans had to expansion of slavery was blown up by southerners who viewed any opposition to slavery, however minor, was seen as a radical attack on the Constitution. Fehrenbacher argues that essentially this reaction based on a fundmental error in understanding the Republican party was one of the major reasons for southern succession. I stronly recommend this book for any interested in the history of slavery or the early federal government.

Excellent
This is the last work of the late Don Fehrenbacher, the author of the Dred Scott Decision and other outstanding books on American history. This book was incomplete at his death and was finished by one of his former students, Ward McAfee. Professor McAfee appears to have done an excellent job, the book certainly appears seamless and written with Fehrenbacher's distinctive and precise style. Read more

Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. History    3. History & Theory - General    4. History: American    5. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    6. Politics / Current Events    7. United States - 19th Century    8. United States - General    9. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    10. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    11. Constitution: government & the state    12. History / General    13. History, American | Civil War & Reconstruction    14. Slavery & emancipation    15. USA    16. c 1700 to c 1800    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (1)

Too much detail clouds the main issues
There have been two instances of a father and son both achieving the presidency of the United States and there is a common characteristic. In each case one of the two had a distinguished history of public service that would indicate excellent preparation for the rigors of being president. However, both of those men served only one term, voted down amid lackluster support even among those who were their natural political allies. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1767-1848    2. 1825-1829    3. Adams, John Quincy,    4. History - General History    5. History - U.S.    6. History: American    7. Politics and government    8. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    9. U.S. Political History    10. United States    11. United States - 19th Century    12. Adams, John Quincy   

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Constitutions    3. Democracy    4. Elections    5. General    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Representative government and representation    10. Elections & referenda    11. Political structures: democracy   

Subjects:  1. 1867-1910    2. 20th century    3. General    4. History    5. International Relations - General    6. Mexico    7. Political Process - General    8. Political Science    9. Politics and government    10. Sociology    11. Central America    12. Constitution: government & the state    13. South America   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, French    3. Constitutions    4. European - French    5. European - General    6. Government - Comparative    7. Literary Criticism    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Political and social views    10. France    11. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (1)

A Framework for Analysis
Glennon worked on the War Powers Resolution and knows a thing or two about the Constitutional limits in foreign affairs.The best reason to read this book is the Framework Glennon provides for Constitutional analysis.Have you ever tired of the debates between the various schools of constitutional interpretation?I have because all of the schools - well, most of them - have their uses depending on the circumstances.Glennon does not argue for one school or the other, but provides a hierarchy to order three levels of analysis.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. International Relations - General    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. American History    7. Constitution: government & the state    8. Constitutional & administrative law    9. Law    10. Law / Constitutional    11. Political Science / International Relations    12. Political Science and International Relations    13. Political Science-International Relations - General    14. USA   

Reviews (1)

French Imperialism in North America
Having lived in Quebec, and talking to Quebeckers and French ex-pats, one of the things that struck me was the difficult relationship Quebeckers have with France. This book reveals to what extent the connexions between the Quebec elite and the French governments has been fruitful for the nationalist movement. Whether you think it is a natural relationship or foreign meddling, that depends on your position, but this makes for fascinating reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1890-1970    2. Canada    3. Canada - General    4. Canada - Post-Confederation (1867-)    5. Europe - France    6. Foreign relations    7. France    8. Gaulle, Charles de,    9. Gaullism    10. History    11. History - General History    12. History: World    13. International Relations - General    14. Constitution: government & the state    15. Gaulle, Charles de    16. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    17. Relations with Canadians    18. Views on Québec (Province)    19. World history   

Reviews (2)

Excellent chronology of topics
Let me first confess that I am the named research aide who assisted Professor Johnson on this book.But what I didn't have anything to do with was his useful organization of the caselaw into topical segments.Not only is this book a useful work for the reasons stated by the other reviewer(s), but if someone wants to know the Court's holdings over time in a number of areas, such as the law of nations or separation of powers, this is a useful book.Professor Johnson organizes the book so that a researcher may use it to glean trends on a particular topic rather than presenting a jumble of topics and leaving it up to the reader to discern the development of the law on a given issue. Excellent legal analysis
For those who wish to read a biography of our greatest chief justice, this is not the book to read.For those who are interested in the jurisprudence of C.J. Marshall, this book provides an outstanding introduction.The bookprovides compelling, and accurate, evidence that in addition to JohnMarshall being a great jurist, he was also, and foremost, a founding father-- one of the few who realized the potential for our great nation.Whileit can be successfully argued that at times Marshall expanded the powers ofthe Supreme Court beyond those intended by the authors of the Constitution,the book also provides a compelling argument for the necessity of expandingthose powers. Johnson successfully reasons that, where it not forMarshall's ability to occasionaly read "beyond" the strictguidelines of the Constitution, the role of judicial review (and hence ourconstitutional guarantees) wouldnot exist today. Overall, an excellentstudy into a chief justice whose concerns where not those of partisanship-- but rather those of aiding a fledgling country through its formativeyears. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History: American    4. Legal History    5. Legal System    6. United States - 19th Century    7. United States - Antebellum Era    8. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    9. Central government    10. Constitution: government & the state    11. Courts & procedure    12. USA    13. c 1800 to c 1900   

Editorial Review

Here it is--the result of four years of investigative research, at an approximate cost of $40 million. Back in 1994, Kenneth Starr was appointed to investigate a series of investments made by Bill and Hillary Clinton; the Whitewater allegations never bore fruit, but then somebody whispered stories about the president and an intern named Monica Lewinsky into Starr's ear. He and his team of prosecutors sniffed around, and this is what they've come up with: "According to Ms. Lewinsky, she and the President had ten sexual encounters, eight while she worked at the White House and two thereafter." The details are bathetic in their precision: "during many of their sexual encounters," Starr notes, "the President stood leaning against the doorway of the bathroom across from the study, which, he told Ms. Lewinsky, eased his sore back." And yes, as far as we know, that was the president's semen on Monica's navy dress.Read more

Reviews (110)

This is an outstanding report
I was brought back to the Starr Report after reading and reviewing the 9/11 Commission Report.I found the 9/11 Report to be lacking as a legitimate investigative report: it was incomplete, imprecise, and full of statements which were arrived at through compromises between Republican members and Democrat members.
Bizarre! Entertaining! Educational!
If you believe the apocolypse is nearing, read this book! The sleaziness is beyond anything ever written in Playboy, the use of descriptive words are hilarious, and, amazingly, I learned new ways to have sex! Read thisbook!

A pathetic attempt to further a pathetic cause.
This whole investigation, MILLIONS of Democrat and Republican taxpayer's dollars spent chasing the Republican's dream of revenge on Democrats for past occurences, has been a total waste of time.This book is evidence notof the wrongdoing, or moral corruption, of a president, but rather it isevidence of an overzealous man who was consumed by a hatred that is beyondwhat would be reasonable for an unbiased person.History will recordClinton as basically good, but flawed man.History will record Starr asbiased, obsessed investigator who was intent on "getting his man"using any means possible, right or wrong.That is if history remembersMister Starr at all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1946-    2. Clinton, Bill,    3. General    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Governmental investigations    6. Impeachment    7. Misconduct in office    8. Political    9. Political Corruption    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Reference    14. U.S. President    15. United States    16. American history    17. Clinton, Bill    18. Constitution: government & the state    19. Law reports    20. Lewinsky, Monica S    21. Starr, Kenneth    22. USA   

Reviews (5)

Knowing the Ideas of the Founders

John Adams: Second American President; First American Psycho
I am floored! I started reading biographies of John Adams after the musical "1776" piqued my interest in him and have absorbed at least 20 of them since then. I don't know how this 1998 title flew underneath my radar until 2004 but it did ... and I think NOW, after the 2004 election, is the time when every American needs to know what he did for us ... or TRIED to ... including: pointing the way for those of us who CAN to start doing something about the mess we're in now. His insistence on basing our government structure on actual human nature instead of a fantasized ideal of how human nature ought to be may be the only reason we've lasted even this long. Communism went down because it flew in the face of this wisdom. We could be next. Thompson shows that Adams was not only a political theorist, he was a scientifically oriented psychologist. So am I. And I know that he had a handle on psychological reality that exceeds what most modern psychological theorists can lay claim to. He was an Adlerian more than a century before Adler was a gleam in his father's eye. May ALL the Gods bless C. B. Thompson for what he has done ... and may his publisher start doing a better job of getting this book before the public.

The Atlas of America
I just finished reading C. Bradley Thompson's "John Adams and The Spirit of Liberty," and am in awe; not only of John Adams but of Dr. Thompson's masterful explication of Adams' political thought.Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutions    2. History & Theory - General    3. History - U.S.    4. Political    5. Political History    6. Political Science    7. Political Theory    8. Politics/International Relations    9. U.S. Constitutional History    10. United States - Revolutionary War    11. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    12. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    13. Political leaders & leadership    14. Political science & theory    15. USA    16. c 1700 to c 1800    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Constitutional    3. Constitutional law    4. Constitutional law (Islamic law)    5. General    6. Human Rights    7. Law    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Philosophy    10. Constitution: government & the state    11. Islam    12. Islamic studies    13. Law / Human Rights   

Reviews (2)

Good Book A Little Dry
This was a interesting book,but it can come of a little dry ecspecially at the end. It is just Bobby Kennedy's version of how the committee got started and what happened.I was interested on both sides of the story so I'm also reading Jimmy Hoffa's autobiography which goes into the comittee as well.It's amazing how Bobby can makes some of the statments about crime that he does with the Kennedy's being so crooked themselves??

A Great Inside Look
This is a marvelous peek inside Robert Kennedy's efforts against corrupt labor unions.I had long been intrigued with the whole RFK-Jimmy Hoffa "feud," so this was a treat for me. Robert Kennedy's writing style is at once humorous and pragmatic. He provides a detailed account of the inner workings of the McClellan Committee. Moreover, he meticulously describes the corruption within the labor organizations, with particular emphasis on Jimmy Hoffa.A word of warning: When I use words like "detailed" and "meticulously," I'm being serious.The book is a must for anyone interested in RFK, Jimmy Hoffa, the McClellan Committee, or American labor history; but someone who wants an action movie packaged as a book, will probably be disillusioned. Having said that, I loved the book. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field    2. Congress    3. Congress.    4. Corrupt practices    5. General    6. History - General History    7. Labor & Industrial Relations - Unions    8. Labor And The State    9. Labor Unions    10. Political Science    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Senate    13. Senate.    14. United States    15. United States.    16. Constitution: government & the state    17. Crime & criminology    18. Trade unions    19. USA    20. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (5)

Boring title, scintillating book
This book stimulates the little gray cells. Every time I watch Prime Minister's Questions, the superiority of the Cabinet system over the Presidential system is painfully obvious. If Bush were subjected to the kind of scrutiny, in Congress, that Blair is subjected to every week in Parliament, he would have been exposed as an impostor long before supreme executive authority was placed in his hands. Refering to our Civil War, Bagehot wrote: "The notion of employing a man of unknown smallness at a crisis of unknown greatness is to our minds simply ludicrous. Mr. Lincoln, it is true, happened to be a man of... eminent justness... But success in a lottery is no argument for lotteries."
classical exposition of the British system of government
Walter Bagehot was a journalist and a social and political thinker of the middle Victorian period (1850s and 1860s). His classical work "The English Constitution" comes as a collection of polemical assays upon the structure of the British political system. Cabinet, monarchy, Houses of Commons and Lords, execution of political power, and the foundation of the systems of checks and balances are explored in the book.

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional Law    3. England    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. History    6. History: World    7. Politics / Current Events    8. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    9. Constitution: government & the state    10. English law: constitutional & administrative    11. History / Great Britain    12. History, World | British    13. United Kingdom, Great Britain    14. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (3)

Activist Judges?I give you an activist judge!
So the founding fathers more or less set up a judiciary for some purpose, likely similar to the British courts with which they were accustomed, and maybe laws would be struck down (John Jay had done this previously).So what's all this talk about Marbury v. Madison? Why should we care who Chief John Marshall was?This short book (125 pages) does an excellent job of answering these two vital questions.Marshall was a man with a powerful personality and great intelligence that focused the power of the judiciary and made it, through his own will alone it seems, into an equal arm of government.The author explores the historical undertones that brought the actually action to the court (as well as the sister actions), explores what made this decisions so different in form and function to all previous decisions.He then goes on to review some of the long term aspects within the judiciary as a direct result of this decision and closes by reviewing the impact of Marbury to other jurisdictions (countries).

generally liberal and wrong, but a good subject introduction
This book was written by a liberal east coast law professor.
Important Legal History
Marbury v. Madison is a case that every law student knows and that very few people understand.Although modern legal discourse focuses on cases that decide social issues like racial preferences, abortion, and gay rights, none of these cases are as important as Marbury.The reason for this is simple - - unless Justice Marshall had established that it was the exclusive province of the judiciary to determine the constitutionality of legislation, none of the important social issues would be decided in the courts.They would be decided in the legislature or in the executive.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1761 or 2-1835    2. Constitutional    3. Courts - General    4. Courts - Supreme Court    5. History    6. History & Theory - General    7. Judicial review    8. Law    9. Marbury, William,    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Separation of powers    12. Trials, litigation, etc    13. United States    14. United States - 19th Century    15. Constitution: government & the state    16. Constitutional & administrative law    17. Courts & procedure    18. History of specific subjects    19. USA