Título: How Democratic is the American Constitution? Second Edition
Autor: Robert A. Dahl
Sinopse: A Washington Post Book World Best Seller
“Robert A. Dahl . . . is about as covered in honors as a scholar can be. . . . He knows what he is talking about. And he thinks that the Constitution has something the matter with it.”—Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker
“A devastating attack on the undemocratic character of the American Constitution.”—Gordon S. Wood, New York Review of Books
In this provocative book, one of our most eminent political scientists poses the question, “Why should Americans uphold their constitution?” The vast majority of Americans venerate the Constitution and the democratic principles it embodies, but many also worry that the United States has fallen behind other nations on crucial issues, including economic equality, racial integration, and women’s rights. Robert Dahl explores this vital tension between the Americans’ belief in the legitimacy of their constitution and their belief in the principles of democracy.
Dahl starts with the assumption that the legitimacy of the American Constitution derives solely from its utility as an instrument of democratic governance. Dahl demonstrates that, due to the context in which it was conceived, our constitution came to incorporate significant antidemocratic elements. Because the Framers of the Constitution had no relevant example of a democratic political system on which to model the American government, many defining aspects of our political system were implemented as a result of shortsightedness or last-minute compromise. Dahl highlights those elements of the American system that are most unusual and potentially antidemocratic: the federal system, the bicameral legislature, judicial review, presidentialism, and the electoral college system.
The political system that emerged from the world’s first great democratic experiment is unique—no other well-established democracy has copied it. How does the American constitutional system function in comparison to other democratic systems? How could our political system be altered to achieve more democratic ends? To what extent did the Framers of the Constitution build features into our political system that militate against significant democratic reform?
Refusing to accept the status of the American Constitution as a sacred text, Dahl challenges us all to think critically about the origins of our political system and to consider the opportunities for creating a more democratic society.
Contexto da obra
Como livro em inglês, esta obra costuma ganhar também uma camada própria de interesse editorial e linguístico. “How Democratic is the American Constitution? Second Edition”, de Robert A. Dahl, publicado pela editora Yale University Press, em 2003 e com 240 páginas, integra a categoria Livros em Inglês. Por isso, o interesse da obra tende a se ampliar quando o leitor considera também a relação com a língua em que ela circula.
Editora: Yale University Press
Páginas: 240
Ano: 2003-12-01
Edição: Second
Linguagem: en
ISBN: 0300095244
ISBN13: 9780300095241
Sobre a editora
Os livros da editora Yale University Press oferecem uma experiência de leitura que combina rigor acadêmico com acessibilidade, transitando entre análises históricas detalhadas e reflexões contemporâneas. O catálogo revela obras que exploram desde conflitos militares históricos até debates políticos atuais, com textos que equilibram narrativas densas e ensaios de caráter mais direto. A linguagem frequentemente alia clareza e profundidade, convidando leitores interessados em temas como estratégia internacional, história social, filosofia política e ciências humanas a um mergulho informado e reflexivo. A diversidade do catálogo inclui obras que vão do relato histórico minucioso ao exame crítico de conceitos jurídicos e culturais, mostrando um interesse editorial por temas que envolvem tanto o passado quanto os desafios do presente.
