In his contribution to this symposium, Sanford Levinson joins a list of scholars denying James Madison the title “Father of the Constitution” and challenging, in their estimation, exaggerated claims about his influence in the constitutional moment of 1786 to 1789. For his part, Professor Levinson emphasizes the radical character of Madison’s universal veto of state […]
Civic Myth in the Age of Trumpian Reality: Part II
Hope for building a shared narrative of national identity lies in the formation of an inclusive civic myth based upon the Gettysburg narrative and the Horatio Alger story. As the discussion in Part I of this essay should have made clear, the barriers to building a shared narrative of national identity out of existing civic […]
Civic Myth in the Age of Trumpian Reality: Part I
The sweep of American history yields four distinct narratives of American identity, or civic myths. An ethnically inclusive, multicultural narrative of American national identity fused from our most prominent American stories has the best chance of promoting economic prosperity while also projecting a superior normative vision of America to its own citizens and the world. […]
