{"product_id":"our-republican-constitution-securing-the-liberty-and-sovereignty-of-we-the-people-isbn-9780062412287","title":"Our Republican Constitution: Securing the Liberty and Sovereignty of We the People","description":"\u003cp\u003eA concise history of the long struggle between two fundamentally opposing constitutional traditions, from one of the nation’s leading constitutional scholars—a manifesto for renewing our constitutional republic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Constitution of the United States begins with the words: “We the People.” But from the earliest days of the American republic, there have been two competing notions of “the People,” which lead to two very different visions of the Constitution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThose who view “We the People” collectively think popular sovereignty resides in the people as a group, which leads them to favor a “democratic” constitution that allows the “will of the people” to be expressed by majority rule. In contrast, those who think popular sovereignty resides in the people as individuals contend that a “republican” constitution is needed to secure the pre-existing inalienable rights of “We the People,” each and every one, against abuses by the majority.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Our Republican Constitution, renowned legal scholar Randy E. Barnett tells the fascinating story of how this debate arose shortly after the Revolution, leading to the adoption of a new and innovative “republican” constitution; and how the struggle over slavery led to its completion by a newly formed Republican Party. Yet soon thereafter, progressive academics and activists urged the courts to remake our Republican Constitution into a democratic one by ignoring key passes of its text. Eventually, the courts complied.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing from his deep knowledge of constitutional law and history, as well as his experience litigating on behalf of medical marijuana and against Obamacare, Barnett explains why “We the People” would greatly benefit from the renewal of our Republican Constitution, and how this can be accomplished in the courts and the political arena.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eThe nation’s leading libertarian legal scholar tells the riveting story of the long struggle between two fundamentally opposing constitutional traditions and explains that beneath every passionate debate between conservatives and liberals lies a deep disagreement about our founding document.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmericans today are deeply divided—politically, ideologically, and culturally. Some of us live in blue states and watch CNN; others live in red states and watch Fox News. Some Americans want more government, others less. We engage in passionate debate over issues like gun control, health care, same-sex marriage, immigration, and the war on terrorism. But above all, says renowned legal scholar Randy E. Barnett, we are in fundamental disagreement about the Constitution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the early days of the American republic, the nature of government “of the people, by the people, for the people” has been disputed. This is because there are not one but two very different notions of “We the People” and popular sovereignty, which yield competing schools of constitutional thought. The democrats view We the People collectively and think popular sovereignty resides in the people as a group. They view the Constitution as a living document and contend that today’s majority should not be governed by the dead hand of past majorities. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe republicans view We the People as a collection of individuals. Their vision of government is that it should not reflect the will of the majority—but rather secure the preexisting rights of each and every person to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis fundamental disagreement lies at the heart of our current national divide. In \u003cem\u003eOur Republican Constitution\u003c\/em\u003e, Barnett tells the fascinating story of how this conflict arose shortly after the Revolution, leading to the adoption of a new and innovative republican constitution; and how the struggle and eventual victory over slavery led to its improvement by a newly formed Republican Party. Yet soon after, progressive academics and activists urged the courts to remake it into a democratic constitution by ignoring key passages of its text. And eventually the courts complied. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLuckily, this debate is far from over. Drawing from his deep knowledge of constitutional law and history—as well as his experience litigating on behalf of medical marijuana and against Obamacare—Barnett explains why We the People would benefit greatly from the renewal of our Republican Constitution, and how this can be accomplished in the courts and political arena.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdvance Praise For \u003cem\u003eOur Republican Constitution\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Georgetown law professor Randy Barnett is a rarity in academia. He is not only one of the most important constitutional scholars of our time, but a brilliant advocate for the restoration of our republic by embracing the Constitution and defending individual sovereignty. This is a very important book for constitutional conservatives and all Americans who love liberty and country.”—Mark R. Levin, lawyer, radio host, and author of \u003cem\u003ePlunder and Deceit\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Liberty Amendments\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You don’t have to be in agreement with Randy Barnett to respect his scholarship, enjoy his writing, and learn from his arguments. But—trigger warning!—after reading this book, I predict you’ll find yourself more persuaded than you expected to be of  the urgent case for reclaiming our Republican Constitution.”—William Kristol, editor of \u003cem\u003eThe Weekly Standard\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Randy Barnett is one of the country’s most important and creative constitutional thinkers. In Our Republican Constitution, he revives and restates the natural rights tradition in American constitutional thought for our time, explaining why our system of government is based on the primacy of rights and respect for the individual sovereignty of each and every one of us.”—Jack M. Balkin, Yale Law School\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Randy Barnett has given us the book that will help every American develop a greater understanding of the Constitution. But Barnett does so much more than help us recall our constitutional heritage and the power of the courts to protect the rights of the people; he also points to a path forward for constitutional conservatives. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of our Constitution, from one of the most insightful constitutional scholars and political philosophers of his generation, and one of the leaders in our shared effort to restore the Constitution’s commitment to individual liberty.”—MIKE LEE, U.S. SENATOR FOR UTAH\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Randy Barnett is one of the country’s most important and creative constitutional thinkers. In Our Republican Constitution he revives and restates the natural rights tradition in American constitutional thought for our time, explaining why our system of government is based on the primacy of rights, and respect for the individual sovereignty of each and every one of us.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJack M. Balkin, Yale Law School\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRandy Barnett is one of the country’s most important and creative constitutional thinkers. In Our Republican Constitution he revives and restates the natural rights tradition in American constitutional thought, explaining why our system of government is based on respect for the individual sovereignty of each and every one of us. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJack M. Balkin, Yale Law School\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Our Republican Constitution is simultaneously intellectually rigorous and a real page-turner, filled with dramatic anecdotes that illustrate Barnett’s powerful and provocative argument that routine deference to elected legislators is the wrong way to interpret the Constitution or create a rich and flourishing society.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eReason.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Barnett has a gift for the clear exposition of complicated ideas, and curious, intelligent, but non-expert readers will learn much about the battle for the soul of the Constitution from this book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ethe Washington Free Beacon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Georgetown law professor Randy Barnett is a rarity in academia.  He is not only one of the most important constitutional scholars of our time, but he advocates brilliantly for the restoration of our Republic by embracing our Constitution and defending individual sovereignty.  This is a very important book for constitutional conservatives and all Americans who love liberty and the country. ” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMark R. Levin, lawyer, radio host and author of Plunder and Deceit and The Liberty Amendments.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You don’t have to be in agreement with Randy Barnett to respect his scholarship, enjoy his writing, and learn from his arguments. But--trigger warning!-- after reading this book, I predict you’ll find yourself more persuaded than you expected to be of the urgent case for reclaiming our Republican Constitution.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWilliam Kristol, Editor, The Weekly Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBarnett is not only one of the most important constitutional scholars of our time, but he advocates brilliantly for the restoration of our Republic by embracing our Constitution and defending individual sovereignty. This is a very important book for constitutional conservatives and all Americans who love liberty and the country. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMark R. Levin, lawyer, radio host and author of Plunder and Deceit and The Liberty Amendments.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Randy Barnett has given us the book that will help every American develop a greater understanding of the Constitution.  But Barnett does so much more than help us recall our constitutional heritage and the power of the courts to protect the rights of the people; he also points to a path forward for constitutional conservatives.  This is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of our Constitution, from one of the most insightful constitutional scholars and political philosophers of his generation, and one of the leaders in our shared effort to restore the Constitution’s commitment to individual liberty.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMike Lee, U.S. Senator for Utah\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRandy Barnett has transformed the terms of constitutional debate by arguing for vigorous enforcement of constitutional limitations on government power. In this provocative book, he defends a vision of what he calls the Republican Constitution - defined as “first come rights and then come government” - that exhorts the courts to preserve those constitutional limitations in the face of popular assaults. Agree or disagree, this book is an intellectual feast that could also have significant practical effects on American democracy. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJeffrey Rosen, President \u0026amp; CEO, National Constitution Center\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Liberty is an old story and every generation has found advocates to retell it. Randy Barnett offers a succinct, informed, and compelling version of one of the best such stories.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eClaremont Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadside Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888319820005,"sku":"NP9780062412287","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062412287.jpg?v=1730228813","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/our-republican-constitution-securing-the-liberty-and-sovereignty-of-we-the-people-isbn-9780062412287","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}