1st Edition

Laws, Men and Machines (Routledge Revivals) Modern American Government and the Appeal of Newtonian Mechanics

By Michael Foley Copyright 1990
    298 Pages
    by Routledge

    308 Pages
    by Routledge

    First published in 1990, Laws, Men and Machines is an original interpretation of the lasting influence that Newtonian mechanics has had on the design and operation of the American political system. The author argues that it is this mechanistic tradition that now instinctively shapes the way we conceive of, analyse, and evaluate American politics, and that the Newtonian conception of the world still finds expression in the 'checks and balances' of the American system.

    1. Newtonian mechanics and American constitutionalism  2. The death of constitutional Newtonianism  3. The perpetuation of constitutional mechanics  4. The Presidency, the Congress and the separation of paradigms  5. A government of laws, men and mechanics

    Biography

    Foley, Michael

    'Michael Foley's book is marvellous... A serious exploration, careful, and controlled, of a seminal idea in American politics' - Professor Aaron Widlavsky