Democracy: A Case Study

Do not let the fact that the book is over 700 pages scare you. A large percentage of the book is notes on the sources he used. What you are getting is 19 very interesting, well researched, short stories from the Constitutional Convention to Citizen's United. I enjoyed them all with the possible exception of the majority opinion in the Citizens's United Case. (made me angry) At the end of the book you can find the follow up to each of the 19 cases.By far the best part was the introduction and the conclusion. In the introduction he mentions that Madison was concerned about special interests subverting the common good and especially the oppression of the minority by the majority. This makes democracy inherently fragile. Political conflict has been always with us. It can either be constructive or destructive. If we lose our faith in democracy it becomes destructive (think Civil War) if not it is usually constructive as being able to chose between the best from competing ideas. He points out that democracy is not a machine but an organism. It is made up of civil society, social reform and the press among others.In the conclusion he mentions that perhaps the United States has become more destructive and offers some suggestions to make things better. For that alone the book is worth the purchase.

As a writer, Dr. Moss presents a formative narrative of the forces and personalities involved in determining the decisions in forming the constitution and laws that govern this country.This is a must read for anyone interested in how the Articles that form the basis of the US Constitution evolved.

I have many objections to Moss's account of American history--the central premise--that Americans have strong democratic instincts and that democratic institutions are fundamentally workable in our society--is problematic at best. Still, I do recommend this book for it summaries of key moments when important political crises engaged the attention of statesmen and ordinary Americans. In fact, Moss's rather upbeat view of our past might be seen as refreshing, given the erosion of public life and of faith in our institutions--however flawed--at the moment.

Read the first and last paragraphs of each chapter together before reading the chapter. The last paragraph summarizes the critical situation and the pending decision. All paths in the chapter lead to that critical situation so it's good to have the goal in mind. The buildup of suspense stimulates me to think about how I would decide, now armed with the informed viewpoints from all sides. Great book.

Case study format capturing the most pivotal decisions and events of our young democracy, while pointing "through a glass darkly" towards their potential implications for the challenges of our present times. I studied with Prof. Moss over twenty years ago, and this volume presents a wonderful summation of some of his best research since into the American experiment.

These are dark days for our democracy, and for anyone concerned, this is an important book for you. In a series of case studies, David Moss brilliantly illuminates how past crises have been handled, and in the process sheds useful light on how we might best grapple with the current crisis. I used the book in my undergraduate seminar at Stanford, with great success

I wish my high school history teacher could have used this book. The book's case method invites active participation in the historical analysis: This structure forces you to ask: What would you do in this case?

Informative but somewhat dry to due the excessive details in describing the cases, however, an insight into America's history.