We Hold These Truths: Updating the Framers' Vision of American Democracy

The Federalist is an incomplete account of American democracy, but We Hold These Truths provides a comprehensive survey of recent scholarship about the Framers' vision. It combines modern social science with a detailed knowledge of history to develop a theory of American democracy for the age of the internet, Trump, and polarization.

Format: Hardback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 21 December 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The Federalist stands as the most comprehensive and insightful exploration of the workings of American democracy, although it remains somewhat incomplete. Over the years, scholars from various esteemed backgrounds, such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Anthony Downs, have dedicated themselves to addressing these gaps. However, as America's society and political institutions continue to evolve, new complexities and challenges arise. In response, We Hold These Truths offers a comprehensive survey of recent scholarship on the vision of the Framers, highlighting how long-established political patterns can abruptly shift when voters become increasingly polarized, even leading to feedbacks that exacerbate public anger. This study seeks to develop a theory of American democracy for the age of the internet, Trump, and polarization, blending modern social science with a deep understanding of history. It aims to identify where the Framers' scheme has faltered and explore potential solutions to rectify it.

The Federalist remains the best single account of how American democracy is supposed to work. That said, it remains incomplete. While generations of scholars from Alexis de Tocqueville to Anthony Downs have worked hard to fill these gaps, America's constantly-changing society and political institutions continue to encounter new puzzles and challenges. We Hold These Truths provides a comprehensive survey of recent scholarship about the Framers' vision, stressing how long-established political patterns can abruptly change as voters become more polarized, and even lead to feedbacks that amplify public anger still further. Developing a theory of American democracy for the age of the internet, Trump, and polarization, this study mixes modern social science with a detailed knowledge of history, asking where the Framers' scheme has gone wrong – and what can be done to fix it.

The Federalist stands as the most comprehensive and insightful exploration of the workings of American democracy, although it remains somewhat incomplete. Over the years, scholars from various esteemed backgrounds, such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Anthony Downs, have dedicated themselves to addressing these gaps. However, as America's society and political institutions continue to evolve, new complexities and challenges arise. In response, We Hold These Truths offers a comprehensive survey of recent scholarship on the vision of the Framers, highlighting how long-established political patterns can abruptly shift when voters become increasingly polarized, even leading to feedbacks that exacerbate public anger. This study seeks to develop a theory of American democracy for the age of the internet, Trump, and polarization, blending modern social science with a deep understanding of history. It aims to identify where the Framers' scheme has faltered and explore potential solutions to rectify it.

The Federalist remains the best single account of how American democracy is supposed to work. That said, it remains incomplete. While generations of scholars from Alexis de Tocqueville to Anthony Downs have worked hard to fill these gaps, America's constantly-changing society and political institutions continue to encounter new puzzles and challenges. We Hold These Truths provides a comprehensive survey of recent scholarship about the Framers' vision, stressing how long-established political patterns can abruptly change as voters become more polarized, and even lead to feedbacks that exacerbate public anger still further. Developing a theory of American democracy for the age of the internet, Trump, and polarization, this study mixes modern social science with a detailed knowledge of history, asking where the Framers' scheme has gone wrong – and what can be done to fix it.

The Federalist stands as the most comprehensive and insightful exploration of the workings of American democracy, although it remains somewhat incomplete. Over the years, scholars from various esteemed backgrounds, such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Anthony Downs, have dedicated themselves to addressing these gaps. However, as America's society and political institutions continue to evolve, new complexities and challenges arise. In response, We Hold These Truths offers a comprehensive survey of recent scholarship on the vision of the Framers, highlighting how long-established political patterns can abruptly shift when voters become more polarized, and even lead to feedbacks that exacerbate public anger still further. Developing a theory of American democracy for the age of the internet, Trump, and polarization, this study mixes modern social science with a detailed knowledge of history, asking where the Framers' scheme has gone wrong – and what can be done to fix it.

Weight: 732g
Dimension: 161 x 238 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108845700