Reconsidering American Liberalism

This book is a powerful survey of the whole of U.S. political thought and a trenchant critique of contemporary political debates. It is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of U.S. political thought or, indeed, about the future of the country itself.

James Young is professor emeritus of political science at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York and now an independent scholar working in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is the author of The Politics of Affluence and editor of Consensus and Conflict: Readings in American Politics. He is the author of many articles and reviews in both professional journals and popular journals of opinion on political theory and thought.

Introduction: The Role of Liberalism in American Politics -- The Ambiguous Legacy of Puritanism -- John Locke and the Theory of Liberal Constitutionalism -- Liberalism, Republicanism, and Revolution -- Liberalism, Republicanism, and the Constitution -- Defining the Constitutional Text and the Emergence of Party Politics -- Some Notes on Jacksonian Democracy -- Abolition and the Crisis of Liberalism -- Laissez-Faire Conservatism and the Legitimation of Corporate Capitalism -- The Dilemmas of Populist Reform -- The Problem of Progressivism -- The New Deal and the Apotheosis of Reform -- Liberalism in Search of New Directions -- Race, Gender, Difference, and Equality -- Liberalism in Retreat: The Conservative Critique -- Rights-Based Liberalism -- Problems of Liberalism: Rights, Economy, Community, and the State -- Conclusion