Economic interpretations of history are irrevocably identified with the name of Charles A. Beard. This is mainly due to his early book An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (1913). Yet, in Beard's later work, The Economic Basis of Politics (1922), he articulates the main principles of his method and argues for its applicability to understanding of current events. In this brief survey of Western political philosophy and contemporary constitutional arrangements, Beard concludes that it is well established doctrine that "there is a vital relation between the forms of state and the distribution of property, revolutions in the state being usually the results of contests over property." In advancing this axiom, Beard responds to charges that he was a "Marxist" by constructing an interpretation of Western political philosophy and history that draws a firm distinction between his economic interpretation of history and Marx's historical materialism. Beard traces the origins of his own method to the works of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Harrington, Locke, and Montesquieu. This view of political theory and political theorists stands in sharp contrast to the view prevailing among many contemporary political philosophers, who insist that political theory must somehow transcend history and rise above ordinary politics to count as theory. Beard's observations on the nature and tradition of Western political philosophy provide an entrÚe into New World political thought, which many academic political philosophers have long regarded as something less than "political theory." In contrast, Beard regards the development and application of the method of economic interpretation to be the greatest contribution of American political thought to the tradition of Western political theory. In his surveys of thinkers such as Madison, Webster, and Calhoun, Beard links American political thought to the Western tradition of economic interpretation, which undergirds both "liberalism" and "republicanism." The present-day relevance of this important volume will be evident to all social scientists. Charles A. Beard (1874-1948) taught at Columbia University, then resigned to become a founder of The New School for Social Research. Among his many works are Development of Modern Europe, Economic Origins of Jeffersonian Democracy, The Rise of American Civilization, and President Roosevelt and the Coming of the War. Clyde W. Barrow is professor of political science and director of the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. He is the author of More than a Historian: The Political and Economic Thought of Charles A. Beard, published by Transaction.

Product Description: Ralph Miliband was a leading contributor to the development of Marxist political theory in the late twentieth century. His writings remain highly influential in contemporary work on the state and related areas of political theory and political sociology...read more

Product Description: This study is the first effort to document the extent of NAFTA's impact on higher education. Through case studies, the authors analyze higher education policy in Canada, Mexico, and the USA using a common theoretical framework that identifies economic globalization, international trade liberalization, and post-industrialization as common structural factors exerting a significant influence on higher education in the three countries...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: A collected volume on the political perspectives of Portuguese-Americans in Massachusetts that examines attitudes to such key issues as education and foreign language instruction, the economy and access to jobs and mobility, and a range of other social issues such as immigration policy, abortion, and school prayer...read more

Examines four key dimensions of globalism including its role in the war on terrorism, its impact on domestic U.S. policy, its influence on the shaping of national security, and its own future, in a collection of essays by top international commentators. Original.

Product Description: Charles A. Beard (1874-1948) was one of America's most influential historians and political scientists. He played a major role in founding the disciplines of history and political science, helped shape the teaching of social studies in the nation's public schools, and was one the nation's most popular public intellectuals...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Critical Theories of the State is a clear and accessible survey of radical perspectives on the modern state.  By focusing on Marxist theory and its variations, particularly as applied to advanced industrial societies and contemporary welfare states, Clyde W...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Critical Theories of the State is a clear and accessible survey of radical perspectives on the modern state.  By focusing on Marxist theory and its variations, particularly as applied to advanced industrial societies and contemporary welfare states, Clyde W...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: The modern university has been viewed by scholars as an oasis of academic autonomy that stands above or outside society and its political conflicts. Clyde Barrow challenges that vision with his conclusion that corporations and government have been the dominant social forces shaping the goals and structure of the American university...read more