How Democratic Is the American Constitution?

Robert A. Dahl, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Sr. Research Scientist Sociology, is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a corresponding member of the British Academy, and a past President of the American Political Science Association. His publications include Congress and Foreign Policy; Politics, Economics and Welfare (with C. E. Lindblom); A Preface to Democratic Theory; Who Governs? Democracy and Power in an American City; After the Revolution?; Polyarchy; Size and Democracy (with E. R. Tufte); Dilemmas of Pluralist Democracy; A Preface to Economic Democracy; Controlling Nuclear Weapons: Democracy Versus Guardianship; Democracy and Its Critics; Toward Democracy: A Journey; On Democracy; How Democratic is the American Constitution?, Politica e virtu' , La teoria democratica de nuovo secolo, After the Goldrush: Growing up in Skagway and On Political Equality.

出版者:Yale University Press

作者:Robert A. Dahl

页数:240

出版时间:2003-12-1

价格:USD 17.00

装帧:Paperback

isbn号码:9780300095241

图书标签:政治民主RobertADahl民主理论Dahl美国Politics选举制度

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Selected by Choice as a 2003 Outstanding Academic Title

Selected by the American Library Association (ALA) as one of "The Best of the Best from the University Presses: Books You Should Know About," 2003

Selected as an outstanding book by University Press Books for Public and Secondary School Libraries

In this provocative book, one of our most eminent political scientists poses the question, “Why should we uphold our constitution?” The vast majority of Americans venerate the American Constitution and the principles it embodies, but many also worry that the United States has fallen behind other nations on crucial democratic issues, including economic equality, racial integration, and women’s rights. Robert Dahl explores this vital tension between the Americans’ belief in the legitimacy of their constitution and their belief in the principles of democracy.

Dahl starts with the assumption that the legitimacy of the American Constitution derives solely from its utility as an instrument of democratic governance. Dahl demonstrates that, due to the context in which it was conceived, our constitution came to incorporate significant antidemocratic elements. Because the Framers of the Constitution had no relevant example of a democratic political system on which to model the American government, many defining aspects of our political system were implemented as a result of short-sightedness or last-minute compromise. Dahl highlights those elements of the American system that are most unusual and potentially antidemocratic: the federal system, the bicameral legislature, judicial review, presidentialism, and the electoral college system.

The political system that emerged from the world’s first great democratic experiment is unique—no other well-established democracy has copied it. How does the American constitutional system function in comparison to other democratic systems? How could our political system be altered to achieve more democratic ends? To what extent did the Framers of the Constitution build features into our political system that militate against significant democratic reform?

Refusing to accept the status of the American Constitution as a sacred text, Dahl challenges us all to think critically about the origins of our political system and to consider the opportunities for creating a more democratic society.

读后感

一如既往地简洁明晰。 对托克维尔的批评发人深省：托氏认为民主统治最大的弊端是法制和政府的不稳定，但达尔说，历史表明，民主制的崩溃只发生在初建时（二三十年），之后就表现出很强的稳定性。虽然因为没有足够多样化的经验以至于不能确定，这具体是因为什么原因…… 但全书...  

2012年美国总统大选即将在11月6日举行，但此次异常激烈与焦灼的政治形势，让选举结果变得愈发扑朔迷离。基于民意调查，本次总统大选很有可能会产生三种罕见而令人难堪的结局，让美国复杂而不尽完美的“选举人团”投票制度遭遇史上前所未有的挑战。 【输掉普选票而当选：世纪之...  

一如既往地简洁明晰。 对托克维尔的批评发人深省：托氏认为民主统治最大的弊端是法制和政府的不稳定，但达尔说，历史表明，民主制的崩溃只发生在初建时（二三十年），之后就表现出很强的稳定性。虽然因为没有足够多样化的经验以至于不能确定，这具体是因为什么原因…… 但全书...  

一如既往地简洁明晰。 对托克维尔的批评发人深省：托氏认为民主统治最大的弊端是法制和政府的不稳定，但达尔说，历史表明，民主制的崩溃只发生在初建时（二三十年），之后就表现出很强的稳定性。虽然因为没有足够多样化的经验以至于不能确定，这具体是因为什么原因…… 但全书...  

在代议制下，若民主意味着平等代表权的话，美国宪法当中的确有许多违背民主精神的地方，不论是在最初的宪法文本中还是在加入了诸多修正案之后都是如此。但是，这是刻意为之的吗？未必。 达尔告诉我们，即便是站在那个时代政治智慧和道德约束体现顶端的美利坚制宪者们当然也有...  

用户评价

与大多数法学院教授对于美国宪法的批判不同，达尔的批判着眼于宪法与民主理论和外国宪法实践的偏差。竞争式多元主义的民主理论使得达尔对于宪法中所有的非“一人一票”的条款都表示了相当的怀疑。对于“反民主”的参议院席位设计的批评虽短小，但有力。对于“反民主”的司法审查制度的批评则略显肤浅。对于“反民主”的FPTP投票制度的讨论很有洞见性。对于美国宪法／政治体制感兴趣的读者的上佳入门书。

好得不得了，罗伯特达尔写的非常流畅。

美憲法…粗略看了一遍，再加某人指點了一番…有勁的Dahl

好得不得了，罗伯特达尔写的非常流畅。

？觉得可以轻易反驳的论点挺多