Synopses & Reviews
"The most thorough examination we have of how early Americans wrestled with what types of political dissent should be permitted, even promoted, in the new republic they were forming.Martin shows the modern relevance of their debates in ways that all will find valuable—even those who dissent from his views!"—Rogers M. Smith, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania We generally think of democracy as government by consent; a government of, by, and for the people.We commonly downplay or even denigrate the role of dissent in democratic governments. But in Government by Dissent, Robert W.T. Martin explores the idea that the people most important in a flourishing democracy are those who challenge the status quo. The American political radicals of the 1790s understood, articulated, and defended the crucial necessity of dissent to democracy. Dissent has rarely been the mainstream of democratic politics. But the figures explored here—forgotten farmers as well as revered framers—understood that dissent is always the essential undercurrent of democracy and is often the critical crosscurrent. Only by returning to their political insights can we hope to reinvigorate our own popular politics. Robert W.T. Martin is Professor of Government and Chair of the Government Department at Hamilton College. His works include The Free and Open Press: The Founding of American Democratic Press Liberty, 1640-1800 (2001), and The Many Faces of Alexander Hamilton (co-edited with Douglas Ambrose, 2006), both from NYU Press.
Review
"The most thorough examination we have of how early Americans wrestled with what types of political dissent should be permitted, even promoted, in the new republic they were forming. Martin shows the modern relevance of their debates in ways that all will find valuable—even those who dissent from his views!"-Rogers M. Smith,Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
Review
"Martin has given us a gift—a timely reminder that ours is a nation born in dissent and nourished on disagreement. With a wealth of illustrative cases he reminds us that we Americans are and always have been a fractious people, and our democracy all the more vital for that."-Terence Ball,Arizona State University
Review
“[Martin] dissolves myths about the era of the American Revolution, showing that the years following it were anything but peaceful.”-P.D. Travis,
About the Author
Robert W.T. Martin is Professor of Government and Chair of the Government Department at Hamilton College. His works include The Free and Open Press: The Founding of American Democratic Press Liberty, 1640-1800 (2001), and The Many Faces of Alexander Hamilton (co-edited with Douglas Ambrose, 2006), both from NYU Press.
Table of Contents
ContentsAcknowledgments ixNote on the Text xi1 Introduction 12 Regulation, Not Rebellion: From “Rough Music” to Democratic Disorder 213 “Secret Plodders”: Anti-Federalism, Anonymity,and the Struggle for Democratic Dissent 554 Institutionalizing Counterpublicity: The DemocraticSocieties of the 1790s 835 James Madison: Public Opinion and Dissentient Democracy 1156 “Salutary Collisions” and Multiple Discourses:A Farmer, a Lawyer, and Two Unknown Democrats 1477 The “Saucy Sons of Enquiry”: Thomas Cooperand Democratic Dissent 1778 Conclusion 197Notes 207Bibliography 243Index 257About the Author 262