The Constitutional Amending Process in American Political Thought - Hardcover

by John Vile (Author)

This book is the first full-length work to present debates over the constitutional amending process as a perennial theme in American political thought. Beginning with a discussion of the views of political philosophers, publicists, and legal commentators who may have influenced the views of legal change held by the American Founding Fathers, the work proceeds to look at the historical influences on and discussions surrounding the amending process that was incorporated into Article V of the U.S. Constitution. The reader will gain a new respect for the way the amending process has served and still serves as a safety valve for constitutional change in the United States without permitting ill-considered or hastily conceived modifications.

This work will be of interest to political scientists, historians, and students of American studies and legal history.

Author Biography

JOHN R. VILE is Professor and Chair in the Department of Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University. A graduate of the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia, he is the author of Rewriting the United States Constitution (Praeger, 1991).