American Democracy: Representation, Participation and the Future of the Republic

Each year, thousands of instructors and students struggle to explain and understand the theoretical foundations of the United States Constitution. Admittedly this is not an easy task for the foundations can be very confusing. One means proven useful in explaining these complex ideas is to explore the "great debate" conducted by the Federalists and Antifederalists over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Both groups presented arguments that have had profound impact upon American governmental structure and process. The difficulty, however, lies in the presentation of the debate. Most American government textbooks concentrate mainly upon Federalist positions to a level and degree that they lose much of the debate that took place between the two factions. To make sense of this debate, one must understand both viewpoints. What is often missing is a useful juxtaposition of the Antifederalist and Federalist arguments concering various constitutional issues. And this book seeks to fill that void.