Calhoun and Popular Rule: The Political Theory of Disquisition and Discourse. New Introduction by the Author

by H. Lee Cheek Jr.

Although John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) remains one of the major figures in American political thought, many of his critics have tried to discredit him as merely a Southern partisan whose ideas were obsolete even during his lifetime. In Calhoun and Popular Rule, H. Lee Cheek, Jr., attempts to correct such misconceptions by presenting Calhoun as an original political thinker who devoted his life to the recovery of a "proper mode of popular rule." He argues that Calhoun had a coherent, systematic view of human nature and society and made a lasting contribution to the theory of constitutionalism and democracy.

"Definitive."--Clyde Wilson, Editor, The Papers of John C. Calhoun

"A rich and well-argued book."—American Political Science Review

"Perhaps even the best single study of Calhoun's political thought."--Civil War History

Genres: History

Paperback

First published June 30, 2001

About the author

Dr. H. Lee Cheek, Jr., is Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at East Georgia State College. He received his bachelor's degree from Western Carolina University, his M.Div. from Duke University, his M.P.A. from Western Carolina University, and his Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America. He previously served as Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Gainesville State University (University of North Georgia); Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Athens State University in Alabama; and, Vice-President for College Advancement and Professor of Political Science at Brewton-Parker College in Mt. Vernon, Georgia.

Reviews

[Drew Norwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee Cheek succeeds in providing context and explaining the main political contributions of John C. Calhoun. Calhoun's understanding of popular rule is really important for today. Several key elements to republican government have been lost and are in need of being restored (and none of them are tied to, or bound up with, slavery). This book highlights several of those missing components, such as: the quality of restraint/limitation essential to healthy government (in government by Constitution, and "concurrent measures," and in society by social norms and a code of moral values, familial authority, education, and civic involvement), the importance of local control and subsidiarity, and the dangers of allowing popular rule to be assessed only through a numerical majority (thus leading to the tyranny of the majority), and others.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheek politely replaces Spain's text and thereby introduces Calhoun to a new generation of scholars. I cannot give this text any higher praise than was bestowed on it than Dr. Clyde Wilson: "definitive".