New Book - Making a Constitution: Montesquieu and the Challenges of the American Founding

LAWRENCE, Kan. - EntSun -- The University Press of Kansas announces the publication of Making a Constitution: Montesquieu and the Challenges of the American Founding by Zachary K. German. This groundbreaking study offers the most comprehensive account yet of how one of history's greatest political philosophers shaped the US Constitution and why his ideas still matter.

The United States Constitution has long been celebrated as a uniquely American achievement, yet its framers looked beyond their own experience in crafting a durable system of government. Among the thinkers they relied upon most was the eighteenth-century French philosopher Montesquieu, whose writings profoundly influenced debates over the Constitution's creation and ratification. In Making a Constitution, political theorist Zachary K. German delivers the most comprehensive account to date of Montesquieu's role in shaping the American founding, offering a fresh perspective on the intellectual foundations of the nation's governing document.

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Drawing on extensive historical research and close readings of founding-era debates, German reveals that both Federalists and Anti-Federalists considered themselves faithful interpreters of Montesquieu. Although they shared many of the same philosophical foundations, they reached dramatically different conclusions about the institutions best suited to preserve liberty in the American republic.

As debates over the Constitution continue to shape American political life, Making a Constitution demonstrates that Montesquieu's insights remain as relevant as ever. By showing how the framers understood constitutional government as inseparable from the character of the people it serves, German provides readers with a powerful framework for reconsidering the Constitution's significance in a changing nation. Timely, authoritative, and deeply researched, this volume makes an important contribution to the study of American political thought and constitutional history.

Key Features & News Angles:

• The Definitive Study of Montesquieu's Influence: Offers the most comprehensive examination to date of how Montesquieu shaped the drafting, debate, and ratification of the US Constitution.
• Beyond Separation of Powers: Recasts Montesquieu's legacy by demonstrating that his central contribution was the idea that constitutions must reflect the distinctive "spirit" of a people.
• Fresh Insights into Constitutional Design: Explores enduring questions of federalism, separation of powers, republicanism, and constitutional adaptation through the lens of one of the founding era's most influential political thinkers.
• Timely Constitutional Relevance: Speaks directly to contemporary debates about the American constitutional order by examining how changing national character should inform the way we think about constitutional provisions and institutions.
• Essential Reading for Scholars and Citizens: Bridges intellectual history, political theory, and constitutional studies to offer a compelling new perspective on one of the most important documents in American history.

Learn more about the book here: https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700643257/

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