Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In this comprehensive account of Thomas Jefferson'sconstitutional thought, David N. Mayer offers a fresh perspective on Jefferson'sphilosophy of government. Eschewing the liberalism versus civic republicanismdebate that has so dominated early American scholarship in recent years, Mayerexamines Jefferson's thought in Jefferson's own terms- as whig, federal, andrepublican. In the interrelationships and tensions among these three essentialaspects of Jefferson's theory, Mayer explaines Jefferson's response to theparticular constitutional issues and problems of his time. In contrast to otherstudies that view Jefferson as a champion of democracy, Mayer's book emphasizesJefferson's commitment to liberty and his distrust of government.