Liberty and Coercion

The Paradox of American Government from the Founding to the Present

Gary Gerstle author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Princeton University Press

Published:20th Nov '15

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Liberty and Coercion cover

American governance is burdened by a paradox. On the one hand, Americans don't want "big government" meddling in their lives; on the other hand, they have repeatedly enlisted governmental help to impose their views regarding marriage, abortion, religion, and schooling on their neighbors. These contradictory stances on the role of public power have paralyzed policymaking and generated rancorous disputes about government's legitimate scope. How did we reach this political impasse? Historian Gary Gerstle, looking at two hundred years of U.S. history, argues that the roots of the current crisis lie in two contrasting theories of power that the Framers inscribed in the Constitution. One theory shaped the federal government, setting limits on its power in order to protect personal liberty. Another theory molded the states, authorizing them to go to extraordinary lengths, even to the point of violating individual rights, to advance the "good and welfare of the commonwealth." The Framers believed these theories could coexist comfortably, but conflict between the two has largely defined American history. Gerstle shows how national political leaders improvised brilliantly to stretch the power of the federal government beyond where it was meant to go--but at the cost of giving private interests and state governments too much sway over public policy. The states could be innovative, too. More impressive was their staying power. Only in the 1960s did the federal government, impelled by the Cold War and civil rights movement, definitively assert its primacy. But as the power of the central state expanded, its constitutional authority did not keep pace. Conservatives rebelled, making the battle over government's proper dominion the defining issue of our time. From the Revolution to the Tea Party, and the Bill of Rights to the national security state, Liberty and Coercion is a revelatory account of the making and unmaking of government in America.

Winner of the 2016 Ellis W. Hawley Prize, Organization of American Historians "Terrific, engaging and deeply analytical... An ambitious reinterpretation of American political history from the founding to the present."--New York Times Book Review "Liberty and Coercion is a towering achievement, bristling with stimulating arguments and historical erudition."--Desmond King, Financial Times "[A] triumph."--Bookforum "[A]n informative and sophisticated account of the impact and import of this contradiction throughout American history... [A] thoughtful and timely book about the character and constraints of American politics."--Tulsa World "[A] pathbreaking interpretive approach... By no means is this a book for historians only. It should be widely read, its arguments widely considered. And the evidence Gerstle adduces ought to be sobering for everyone."--James Banner, Weekly Standard "A tour de force account of American governance."--Thomas Rodgers, Reviews in History "[A] brilliant work of American political history."--National Book Review "Liberty and Coercion is a pitch-perfect analysis of the contradictions built into America's federalist system. It's serious and disciplined yet piquant, provocative, and highly readable."--Mark Joseph Stern, Slate "Gary Gerstle's complex book shines a light down countless twisted alleyways and switchbacks of America's past... [An] enlightening, alarming analysis."--Elizabeth Cobbs, Times Higher Education "Provocative."--Alan Ehrenhalt, Governing Magazine "[A] clear, wide-ranging work of political history... He develops considerable evidence for improvisational state-building and draws out the problematic implications of relying on strategies that effectively expand federal power without the accompanying constitutional authority."--Choice "This is a powerful and important book that will reshape the way most readers think about United States history and governance. Gary Gerstle ... has drawn on a lifetime of reading and teaching to produce this masterwork... A highly readable, deeply sourced, magisterial narrative."--David C. Unger, Survival "Like Margot Canaday's The Straight State: Sexuality and Citizenship in Twentieth-Century America (2011), Liberty and Coercion has harnessed several historiographic traditions that have much to say to each other yet have failed to engage one another for too long. From the APD side of the table, scholars like Ira Katznelson, Jim Morone, and Rogers Smith have done the same. Gerstle has enriched that conversation and staked out an important place for historians in it."--Brian Balogh, American Historical Review "A masterful overview of the dynamics that have shaped American politics... Anyone who shares Gerstle's conviction that our democracy should be moving toward greater equality and inclusion, and who seeks a clearer understanding of what we are up against as we work toward those ideals, should read Liberty and Coercion."--James Kloppenberg, Commonweal "Immensely illuminating... It is no surprise that Liberty and Coercion is already winning awards."--Sanford Levinson, The Register

  • Winner of OAH Ellis W. Hawley Prize 2016

ISBN: 9780691162942

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 794g

472 pages