The Genius of America: How the Constitution Saved Our Country--And Why It Can Again

The Genius of America by Eric Lane and Michael Oreskes examines the foundation of our constitutional government in a concise and compelling manner. Throughout this work, the authors refer to our "Constitutional Conscience" as a vital component of the American political system. Democracy in and of itself will not protect the rights of citizens. A constitution in and of itself will not preserve democracy. Germany was a constitutional democracy in 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power. In 1787, our founding fathers ingeniously created an entirely new form of democracy--one designed to protect minorities from majority rule and majorities from minority rule. Checks and balances between three branches of government keep any one branch from obtaining too much power. While our system is slow and often leads to frustrating stalemates, it requires that people work together to produce results. Such a government has built-in impediments against militant groups who might take control at the expense of other citizens. In other words, the very machinery that makes governmental change so maddeningly slow preserves our freedom. Lane and Oreskes clearly explain challenges our Constitution has faced over the years, such as Proposition 13, which allowed the 50% of Californians who voted to make a sweeping decision for the entire state on tax revenues. Direct democracy doesn't always provide a centrist approach. This is something our founding fathers understood when they wrote the Constitution. In closing, the authors called for more Civics Education for our young people. If there are flaws in our government and changes are needed, they must be made with a solid understanding of what we already have. Reading The Genius of America has reaffirmed my admiration for our uniquely American democracy and inspired me in my own efforts to promote Constitution Day activities on September 17th.

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.

The right of habeas corpus, established in England in 1215, is a glory of the American Constitution. But when habeas corpus was effectively abolished at the federal level in 2006 --- not by a Constitutional amendment, but via the Military Commissions Act --- few howled. You may wonder why. The answer is partly political: That legislation was ostensibly aimed at terrorists, and in Washington you have only to say the T-word to transform even passionate defenders of the Constitution into lapdogs of an ever-expanding Executive branch. But our passivity in the face of the loss of one of our most cherished rights also reveals our lack of interest in our past. History? That's for Advanced Placement exams. The Constitution? Sooooo 1789. Eric Lane and Michael Oreskes --- a professor and a journalist --- were sufficiently alarmed by our dangerous bout of amnesia to write a 220-page primer on the Constitution. For them, America's "extraordinary success" is not because of our square-jawed politicians or our innovative businessmen or our hard-working farmers ---it's our "unique form of government." Unique in what way? Our form of government is "self-contained" --- there's no Higher Authority, either in the form of God or king. The Constitution acknowledges that people are selfish and generally care only about themselves; it forces us to compromise for the greater good. In short, our 7,000-word Constitution is a radical philosophical breakthrough that's also rubber-meets-the-road practical. And the result? The longest-lived democracy in the history of the world. Lane and Oreskes begin by telling the story of the years between 1776 and 1787, when the success of the American experiment was anything but certain. We've all studied that period; I had forgotten almost everything about its divisiveness. And its aftermath: Do you remember, for example, that in 1798 John Adams and his allies criminalized criticism of their activities --- and arrested their critics? Entire books have been written about the years leading up to the Bill of Rights; for Lane and Oreskes, it's just the prequel. The real protein in these pages is what happened next --- challenges to the system from the Confederacy to Martin Luther King to women's rights, seen through a Constitutional perspective. For me, the most fascinating passages are about events of the last century --- in historical terms, "current events." I thought I was up on the Depression, but I had no idea that, in Franklin Roosevelt's first inaugural address, he got a huge ovation for suggesting he might need extraordinary powers to deal with the economic crisis. And FDR wasn't alone; Barron's Magazine called for a "genial and lighthearted dictator." As it worked out, FDR found other ways to get what he wanted. But surviving the Depressing and emerging as a superpower after World War II didn't dampen that conversation. Our recent history suggests that we don't agree on much --- Lane and Oreskes frame the story of the la

I would have never expected that a book on the Constitution and its continuing importance in American life would be so engaging and enjoyable. In a highly approachable manner the authors made me truly understand, for the first time since being in school, why the future of our country depends on the understanding and protection of this remarkable creation. I am going to recommend it to all my friends, especially to those who are parents with school age children so they can put pressure on educators to give this subject the attention it deserves.

Intelligent, well written, and totally accessible. This is a book for everyone. It tells not only one of the most amazing stories in history - the creation of our country's constitution - but also reminds us what this great document means for our future. A must read, I highly recommend.