The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing the Economic Foundations of American Democracy

The Constitution imposes a duty on the government to fight oligarchy and ensure broadly shared wealth, as argued in the book "The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution." This tradition of American political and constitutional thought has been neglected in recent years, but it can be revived to address the growing inequality in our society and democracy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 640 pages
Publication date: 25 February 2022
Publisher: Harvard University Press

Oligarchy poses a significant threat to the American republic. When excessive economic and political power is concentrated in the hands of a few, we risk deviating from the "republican form of government" mandated by the Constitution. In contemporary times, courts interpret the Constitution as if it holds minimal relevance in addressing this threat. However, as Joseph Fishkin and William Forbath reveal in this groundbreaking retelling of constitutional history, a commitment to prevent oligarchy once formed the core of a robust tradition in American political and constitutional thought.

Fishkin and Forbath illustrate that reformers, legislators, and even judges within the "democracy-of-opportunity" tradition recognized that the Constitution imposes a responsibility on legislatures to thwart oligarchy and foster a widespread distribution of wealth and political power. These ideas drove Jacksonians to combat exclusive economic privileges granted to a select few, Populists to strive for the dismantling of monopoly power, and Progressives to advocate for the constitutional right to form labor unions. During Reconstruction, Radical Republicans embraced this tradition, arguing that achieving racial equality necessitated breaking up the oligarchy of the Slave Power and redistributing wealth and opportunities to former slaves and their descendants. President Franklin Roosevelt and the New Dealers built their political platforms upon this tradition, successfully challenging the "economic royalists" and "industrial despots."

However, in the present era, as we embark upon a new Gilded Age, this progressive tradition in American economic and political thought finds itself in a state of dormancy. The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution serves as a catalyst for reclaiming and delving into its profound implications for our society. By embracing the principles of preventing oligarchy and promoting a fair distribution of wealth and political power, we can strive to restore the integrity of our democratic institutions and ensure a more equitable and prosperous future for all Americans.

Weight: 1060g
Dimension: 169 x 242 x 53 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674980624