Governing America

Governing America presents an overview of the American political order both as it was intended to function and how it has developed over the course of more than 200 years of rule. Focusing on such themes as the philosophical underpinnings of the Constitution, especially concerning Thomas Hobbes or John Locke, and the immediate concerns of the founders with the inefficacy of the Articles of Confederation, this short work summarizes the original institutional design of the Constitution and the political order it created. Professor Schultz considers the three departments of the government in a generalized format that is readily accessible to undergraduates. Further, Professor Schultz concentrates on the presidencies of Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson, and other modifications to the original Constitution. This is followed by an account of the Progressive movement and its impact on the American political order that continues today.