Compromise and the Constitution: The Political Thought of Henry ClayKimberly Shankman has written the first full-length study of the political thought of early American statesman Henry Clay. In Compromise and the Constitution, Shankman seeks to understand Clay's approach to republican statesmanship by carefully considering the context in which he developed and articulated his programs and policy prescriptions. Because Clay was policy-oriented and very seldom addressed politics from a theoretical perspective, there has been a tendency to dismiss him as motivated primarily, if not exclusively, by expedience and ambition. Shankman demonstrates, however, that Clay's reticence about first principles was in fact an integral part of his conception of an appropriate republican politics: one based on prudence, interest, and compromise rather than on principle, passion, and adamancy. This book is crucial reading for scholars of American history, early American political thought, and the Constitution. |
Contents
Executive Power | 25 |
The American System | 49 |
Political Parties | 81 |
Copyright | |
4 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Compromise and the Constitution: The Political Thought of Henry Clay Kimberly C. Shankman Limited preview - 1999 |
Common terms and phrases
abolitionists Adams administration agrarian agriculture Alexander Hamilton American political American System Andrew Jackson argued Calhoun Clay believed Clay thought Clay's opposition Compromise of 1850 compromise tariff conception conflict Congress constitutional interpretation constitutional powers corruption crisis democracy Democratic party doctrine election essential executive power exercise expansion extended republic fact faction February federal government Federalist Federalist Papers Henry Clay hereafter cited internal improvements issue Jacksonian Jacksonian Democracy Jacksonian era James Madison Jeffersonian John legislative legislature Liberty and Power limited Lincoln maintained majority Mallory manufacturing March military monarchy Montesquieu moral necessary nullification nullification crisis Oxford University Press Papers party system passion political economy political parties political thought presidency presidential principles private interest problem protection represented republican government republican liberty republican virtue role separation of powers significant slavery Speech strict construction territory theory Thomas Jefferson traditional republicanism understanding Union United veto Whig party York
References to this book
Leading Representatives: The Agency of Leaders in the Politics of the U.S. House Randall Strahan No preview available - 2007 |