The Federal Principle in American Politics, 1790-1833 - Softcover

Lenner, Andrew C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0742520714 ISBN 13: 9780742520714

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2001

Synopsis

In the early republic, constitutional debates over federal-state relations were fundamental to party battles and divergent conceptions of republicanism. Then, as now, theories about the sources and nature of federal power informed public debate, policy, and judicial decisions. For John C. Calhoun, the recognition of the equality of the states by the federal government was a precondition for preserving and strengthening republican liberty.
Republicans like James Madison and Andrew Jackson felt republicanism could only flourish if state and federal authorities confined themselves to their proper spheres. Federalists like Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Wilson believed in a more expansive role for the federal government (based on the common law and the law of nations). Lenner examines the constitutional conflicts of the republic's first decade, discusses Virginia's three Republican Presidents, the political and constitutional thought of the National and Old Republicans, the nature of the Jacksonian movement, the doctrine of dual sovereignty, and the nullification crisis. In examining the conflicts of the revolutionary era, Lenner's work provides a ground-breaking overview of the "culture of constitutionalism"―the clash of ideas about the nature and structure of Union―that pervaded the early republic.

About this title

About the Author:

Andrew C. Lenner received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. He has taught at the University of Virginia, James Madison University, Florida Atlantic University, and is currently a liberal arts fellow of law and history at Harvard Law School.

Review:

Lenner provides fresh insights into the political party conflicts of the early national period. His injection of international law into the mix represents an especially significant contribution to the literature. (Journal of Southern History)

This book usefully reminds us how much all Americans once cared about federalism and tried to respect its principles. (Journal of American History)

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0742520714
• ISBN 13: 9780742520714
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 223