Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #308478 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-14
• Released on: 2008-10-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Oreskes, executive editor of the International Herald Tribune, and Eric Lane, a Hofstra law professor, offer a pithy and insightful analysis of the historical development of the Constitution, emphasizing the spirit of compromise that informed the deliberations in the hot Philadelphia summer of 1787. The authors are equally adept at demonstrating the threat that today's deep partisan fissures pose to the founders' vision of constitutional government. To Lane and Oreskes the Constitution's chief virtue is the intricate system of checks and balances that constrains the tendency of people, whether as majorities or minorities, to impose their own self-interest on others. They argue that the recent rise of partisanship has eroded the underpinnings of the constitutional system; Congress has forgone its oversight responsibilities; the executive branch claims extraordinary powers; and the will to make political compromises is dead. But the authors don't sufficiently develop suggestions for how to reinvigorate the constitutional system of checks and balances. Oreskes and Lane are superb at explaining underlying principles of governance embedded in the Constitution; readers will find their book provocative, but may be left unconvinced that a meaningful correction is within easy reach. (Oct.)
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Review
"Though the personal stories of the founding fathers have become hot properties, the institutions the framers created--the executive, the judiciary and especially the congress--enjoy none of that popularity. Lane and Oreskes seek to change that by reminding us of how essential the Constitution is to our nationhood and why it's important for the country to rekindle the Constitutional conscience as we face the challenges of the twenty-first century." --Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR, author Founding Mothers
 
“Our Constitution properly understood and applied could restore the nation’s equilibrium between the instinct for individualism and the need for vital sense of community. It might also have avoided the tragedy of Iraq by prompting Congress to use its power under Article 1 to declare or not declare war, as well as to end it. Lane and Oreskes summon us to restore our Constitution’s efficacy by our reconnecting with its history and its intelligence. They do it brilliantly.”—Governor Mario Cuomo
 
“We the Readers have a treat in store: a close look inside the secret meeting that struggled, convulsed and produced America’s political Scripture.  Mike Oreskes and Eric Lane explore the collective genius that created our ‘constitutional conscience’ and show how the genuine political genius of Madison enables today’s majority to rule without ruining the rights of the minority.”—William Safire, New York Times columnist
  
“With vivid narrative and perceptive analysis, The Genius of America reminds us of the Constitution’s amazing resilience and adaptability.  Lane and Oreskes bring to life the era of the Framers and the critical moments in our history that tested their vision, and make a powerful case that the troubled state of contemporary American politics can be rectified within the structure of a constitutional system predicated more on the pursuit of self-interest than the spread of republican virtue. Every American would benefit from reading this book—starting with the president and vice president and the members and leaders of Congress."—Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, Co-authors of The Broken Branch:  How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track

About the Author

Eric Lane is a professor of law at Hofstra University School of Law, a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, and the author of several texts on government. He has served as director of the New York State Commission on Constitutional Revision, as director of the New York City Charter Revision Commission, and as counsel to the New York State Senate Democrats. Michael Oreskes is the executive editor of the International Herald Tribune. He has served as deputy managing editor, Washington bureau chief, metropolitan editor, and national political correspondent for the New York Times.

Customer Reviews

A guidepost and a wakeup call - that needs just one more chapter!
Genius of America is a historical commentary and analysis of the making of the Constitution of the United States. Authors Lane and Oreskes show that the Constitution was born out of difficult struggles, political, economical, and civic that helped to sharpen and clarify important principles and values needed to establish liberty. They assert that American's have gradually forgotten the important values and principles that make up our constitution. These are the values and principles that framers of the constitution were trying to institutionalize by creating the constitution, and in so doing create a "Constitutional Conscience" that would serve to guide and unite US citizens through the most difficult struggles.

Some of these principles and values that help form the constitution and that I feel promote the "Constitutional Conscience" are listed as follows: 1. people are imperfect and self-interested and government cannot legislate that away; rather it is better to leverage this human trait for the benefit of the whole of society 2. Seeking consensus and compromise is just as important if not more important than seeking perfection 3. No segment of the population should be able to impose their values on the whole of society without the whole consent (albeit represented/elected consent) 4. Power in government needs to be continually checked 5. Every sector of government should derive its power from its citizens. 6. Political process should be valued/prized above political outcome; there is safety in deliberation that transcends any given policy or result

That last principle, Political Process should be valued above political outcome, is perhaps the most important principle of all because it's the processes of the constitution that promote our inalienable rights, which rights must endure through the ages despite any single political outcome. Unfortunately, as the authors point out, we have become a "sound bite" society, focused more on the outputs of the political process and less on deliberation and thoughtful counsel. For the constitution to work, we must not be aloof and petty but should be engaged and participating with a keen awareness of the issues especially when our inalienable rights are at risk. We the people must ensure that our federal government works, that congress truly checks the power of the president and visa versa, and that we have strong judges, and return back to the principles that empower us, the principles embodied in our Constitution.

The one topic that I thought for sure would be included as a chapter in this book would but wasn't, was a discussion about the next hypothetical situation under which our constitution will be tested -yet again and perhaps for the last time, or in effect conditions under which our constitution might need to be re-established anew. After all, experiencing great conflict is how the framers developed the metal and determination necessary to create the Constitution in the first place. I thought for sure the authors might discuss a World War III scenario or some economic conflict that creates the conditions where our constitution is stretched close to the breaking point and how we might prepare for that situation. If that situation happens, I hope that there will be principled men, like Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson that can rise up again, to re-establish the Constitution of the United States of America.

I found this book was inspiring to read and I hope my good friends and fellow citizens will take the opportunity to read it, and make the resolve that I did, to be a better American, to be more involved in my community, and to develop a stronger "Constitutional Conscience".

Understanding Our Constitution - Then and Now
I read The Genius of America with great interest, both from an historical perspective as well as a view on the current application in our country today. The book was brief and succinct but powerful. Although I have studied American history, it gave me a summary not only of decisions made but the important rationale behind these decisions.
It's an amazing tribute to the Framers that a relatively short document could withstand over 200 years of use and scrutiny and still be as meaningful in 2007. If politicians today could get beyond their own narrow, party-driven, polarizing issues and work as our Founders did to reach compromise for the best interest of the country, we'd all be better served.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in sustaining our Democracy, and it should be mandatory reading for young students who need to understand the freedoms they take for granted and how to preserve them.

Should be required reading for all
I'm a business person--not student, not a scholar. This book is fantastic--readable, digestible, and incredibly well-written. It does a great job of presenting the information, and avoiding the typical pitfalls of trying to use a modified version of history to support a political view. It was interesting to read, and it kept my attention through-out. The modern day tie-ins are great as well; the examples of the Constitution's struggles and victories are well-presented. My hunch is that scholars will admire the book, students will learn from it, and I can vouch that as a business person who likes to expand my depth of knowledge and look for historical lessons in the country's successes/failures that I can apply to business, I certainly appreciate this book...Thanks for writing it!