New Order of the Ages : Time, the Constitution, and the Making of Modern American Political Thought

Lienesch shows that what emerged from the period of change was an inconsistent combination of political theories. The mixture of classical republicanism and modern liberalism was institutionalized in the American Constitution and has continued--ambivalent, contradictory, and sometimes flatly paradoxical--to characterize American politics ever since. Originally published in 1988. The **Princeton Legacy Library** uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. Lienesch shows that what emerged from the period of change was an inconsistent combination of political theories. The mixture of classical republicanism and modern liberalism was institutionalized in the American Constitution and has continued--ambivalent, contradictory, and sometimes flatly paradoxical--to characterize American politics ever since. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905 CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction PART ONE. The Paradoxical Past CREATION. Sacred and Secular History CHANGE. Themes of Decline and Progress PART TWO. Perceptions of the Present REFORM. Cyclical Theory and the Idea of Imbalance DEVELOPMENT. The Economics of Expansionism PART THREE. Creating a Contemporary Politics EXPERIENCE. Examples, Precepts, and Theorems FOUNDING. Audacity, Ambition, Adaptability PART FOUR. Prefabricating the Future POSTERITY. Creating Constitutional Character DESTINY. Prophecy and the Prophets of Progress Epilogue Bibliography Index