Willi Paul Adams

Die Entwicklungen und Tendenzen der US-amerikanischen Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im 20. Jahrhundert hatten weltpolitische Bedeutung. Dieses Jahrhundert ist gekennzeichnet von einem enormen Bevolkerungswachstum und einem erstarkenden Bewusstsein einer nationalen amerikanischen kulturellen Identitat. Die USA erlebten einen wirtschaftlichen Hohenflug, der wahrend der Weltwirtschaftskrise vorubergehend zum Stillstand kam, aber in der zweiten Halfte des Jahrhunderts wieder an Fahrt aufnahm. Aussenpolitisch (und militarisch) engagierten sich die USA in Lateinamerika, Asien und Europa. Innenpolitisch setzen sie auf eine prasidentielle Demokratie - mit all ihren Starken und Schwachen."

Von den uberseeischen Siedlergesellschaften der Europaer gelang es zuerst einem Teil der britischen Kolonien in Nordamerika, sich gewaltsam die staatliche Unabhangigkeit zu erkampfen. Der faszinierende Aufstieg von einer Kleinstkolonie 1607 am Rande des von den Eingeborenen beherrschten "Virginia" zur um 1900 grossten Industriemacht wird in acht Phasen skizziert. In jedem der Zeitabschnitte steht zwar die nationale Politikgeschichte im Vordergrund, sie wird jedoch zu den gleichzeitigen sozialen, wirtschaftlichen und kulturellen Entwicklungen in Beziehung gesetzt."

For the last twenty years this book has been cited by every serious writer on early American constitutional development. Any constitutional history of the independent United States must begin with this comprehensive study. Professor Adams combines a European perspective and a thorough knowledge of the antecedents of 1787 to create an insightful analysis of the replacement by the revolutionary generation of one government by another by—they thought—'constitutional' means. Acting for 'the people' in 11 of the 13 rebelling states, various kinds of self-empowered committees, 'congresses,' or 'conventions' created new constitutions and a system in which the states dominated over the weaker Confederation government. This volume contains two new chapters: one demonstrating precedents in the state constitutions for the U. S. Constitution, and another chapter critically testing the 'republicanism over liberalism' thesis against political ideas and institutional arrangements that constitute the first state constitutions. The bibliography has been updated to include the rich body of work written during the last two decades, much of it indebted to this pioneering study.

For the last twenty years this book has been cited by every serious writer on early American constitutional development. Any constitutional history of the independent United States must begin with this comprehensive study. Professor Adams combines a European perspective and a thorough knowledge of the antecedents of 1787 to create an insightful analysis of the replacement by the revolutionary generation of one government by another by—they thought—"constitutional" means. Acting for "the people" in 11 of the 13 rebelling states, various kinds of self-empowered committees, "congresses," or "conventions" created new constitutions and a system in which the states dominated over the weaker Confederation government. This volume contains two new chapters: one demonstrating precedents in the state constitutions for the U. S. Constitution, and another chapter critically testing the "republicanism over liberalism" thesis against political ideas and institutional arrangements that constitute the first state constitutions. The bibliography has been updated to include the rich body of work written during the last two decades, much of it indebted to this pioneering study.