The American Constitution and Its Provenance

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Rowman & Littlefield, 1997 - History - 382 pages
In this comprehensive collection of essays representing a lifetime of scholarship, distinguished political scientist Richard Stevens examines the fundamental principles of the American Constitutional order. Stevens discusses the Constitution's roots in Renaissance and Enlightenment political philosophy, and evaluates several major twentieth-century constitutional commentators. With a focus on the core of constitutional principle, Stevens critiques such views as that the Constitution founds a mixed regime, or is rooted in Christianity, or is a 'living constitution, ' or is to be interpreted in the light of a 'higher law background.' Broad in scope and penetrating in analysis, this book is essential reading for students and scholars of constitutional law, American political thought, and American history.

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Contents

III
1
IV
15
V
25
VI
37
VII
55
VIII
69
IX
71
X
87
XVI
163
XIX
205
XX
243
XXI
251
XXII
269
XXIII
271
XXIV
289
XXV
307

XI
93
XII
103
XIII
119
XIV
139
XV
141
XXVI
329
XXVII
335
XXVIII
369
XXIX
377
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About the author (1997)

Richard G. Stevens is a retired former professor of political science at the National Defense University. He is the author of Frankfurter and Due Process, and the co-editor, with Morton Frisch, of American Political Thought and The Political Thought of American Statesmen.

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