The Failure of the Founding Fathers by Bruce A Ackerman

The Failure of the Founding Fathers by Bruce A Ackerman

The ink was barely dry on the Constitution when it was almost destroyed by the rise of political parties in the United States. The Framers had not anticipated the two-party system, and when Republicans battled Federalists for the presidency in 1800, the rules laid down by the Constitution exacerbated the crisis. With Republican militias preparing to march on Washington, the House of Representatives deadlocked between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Based on seven years of archival research, the book describes previously unknown aspects of the electoral college crisis. Ackerman shows how Thomas Jefferson counted his Federalist rivals out of the House runoff, and how the Federalists threatened to place John Marshall in the presidential chair. Nevertheless, the Constitution managed to survive through acts of statesmanship and luck.

Bruce Ackerman is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780674018662
ISBN 10	0674018664
Title	The Failure of the Founding Fathers
Author	Bruce A Ackerman
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Harvard University Press
Year published	2005-10-01
Number of pages	362
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.