The Spirit of American Government by J. Allen Smith
QR code
"The Spirit of American Government" by J. Allen Smith is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The book explores the origins, influences, and implications of the United States Constitution, particularly in relation to democratic principles. It examines how the framers' intentions, shaped by the political context of the 18th century, impact the functioning of American democracy today. The opening of the work sets the stage for a critical analysis
of the U.S. Constitution, arguing that it was designed to maintain conservative control rather than genuinely foster democracy. Smith elucidates that the state of governance in the U.S. has been significantly influenced by the Constitution's inherent undemocratic features, which stem from the framers' fears of majority rule and desire to restrict popular influence. He highlights historical contexts, including property qualifications for suffrage and the legacy of slavery, that illuminate the complexities of the constitutional framework. Through this introduction, Smith invites readers to reassess the perceived democratic nature of the U.S. government, laying the groundwork for deeper discussions in subsequent chapters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Smith, J. Allen (James Allen), 1860-1926 |
|---|---|
| Title |
The Spirit of American Government A Study Of The Constitution: Its Origin, Influence And Relation To Democracy |
| Credits |
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 44.6 (College-level). Difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | JK: Political science: Political inst. and pub. Admin.: United States |
| Subject | Constitutional history -- United States |
| Subject | United States -- Politics and government |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 28067 |
| Release Date | Feb 13, 2009 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 568 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!