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BOOK REVIEW The Genius of America: How the Constitution Saved Our Country and Why it Can Again by Eric Lane and Michael Oreskes Bloomsbury USA - September 2007
Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty If I had my way, The Genius of America: How the Constitution Saved Our Country and Why it Can Again, by Eric Lane and Michael Oreskes would be required reading in every high school and college in the United States. Every survey I have seen (plus watching Jay Leno on his downtown walks interviewing ordinary people about American history and contemporary politics) tends to show that a significant number of our citizens apparently lack substantial knowledge about our U.S. Constitution, the nature of citizenship in a democratic republic, who our political leaders are, and generally what is going on in the American political arena. This, I submit, is particularly troubling at this time in our nation's history. A democratic republic depends on a knowledgeable and involved citizenry. All too often today all we hear about is the polarization of American politics and experience extreme partisanship to the point of political paralysis. In their book, Lane and Oreskes provide the historical foundation for the development of the U.S. Constitution and the importance that document has had during all periods of American history. They particularly emphasize its specific import today because of the political factionalism which seems to dominate current political discourse. Also, while the Constitution was designed to provide a system of "checks and balances" among the various branches of government -- the executive, the legislative, and the judicial -- it now appears that things are "out of balance" and too much power is being wielded by the executive branch while the legislative branch has failed to provide a "check" on the growing power of the presidency; in others words, Congress is failing to do its job of "oversight." The authors describe the concept of "constitutionalism," an essential idea which involves an acceptance of "conflict within consensus." They note: "Conflict over issues, within a consensus that we are bound one to another by our shared belief in our Constitution and its principles." This leads to what they call the "Constitutional Conscience," a "set of ideas, ... core political values," which is all "the Constitution's ideas taken together." What are these ideas? They are, according to the authors, "conflict within consensus, compromise, representation, checks and balances, tolerance of debate." This book, they say, "describes the development of Americans' Constitutional Conscience and its vital role." And, of course, it does exactly that. What the book does not do, however, is offer any specific steps to solve the current dilemma which exists in contemporary American politics. Now I think that they offer solutions by "implication," that is, the answer to our present difficulties can be "inferred" from the constitutional principles and procedures they analyze and discuss. Many thoughtful readers will undoubtedly realize this. Unfortunately, I suspect, the more casual reader will be left with the question: "But what really needs to be done now, step by step, to restore and promote the 'Constitutional Conscience' that seems to be lacking today?" A little personal history may be appropriate here. Way back in the ancient 1960s, I spent seven years as the principal of a small rural public school which included grades one through eight and where most of the students came from homes considered economically impoverished and culturally disadvantaged. My overarching concern was providing these pupils with a quality education, surpassing that of the large urban schools with which I was familiar and at least equaling that of the private schools which I had been fortunate to attend for most of my own schooling. Included within the curriculum I developed and instituted was a strong emphasis on a broad knowledge of American history, as well as an informed insight into what good citizenship meant as a member of a democratic republic. This latter was imparted through a mandatory weekly lesson in a subject which was then called "Civics." We used a then-available textbook, gave regular tests with letter grades, and encouraged students to practice the principles of good citizenship in role-playing sessions and in ordinary daily life. We considered the subject of "Civics" to be just as important as history, geography, English, science, or whatever. The U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, how to participate in civic affairs, how to be a responsible voter, the structure of the government, etc., were all part of the subject-matter taught in our Civics course -- presented, of course, at age-appropriate levels. I have been told by many people with children attending public schools that a subject called "Civics" is no longer taught there (I can't personally verify this as I have been out of the school business for over two decades, so I take their word on this matter). And you certainly don't hear about such a course being offered anymore when you consult the educational media or other resources. Assuming it has "disappeared" from the school curriculum, maybe it's time to bring it back. I might even suggest that The Genius of America be considered an appropriate text for high-school students to learn what they need to know about the development of America's "Constitutional Conscience" and the role that citizens must play in the political arena so that a democratic republic functions as it ought to. The book includes a copy of the U.S. Constitution as an appendix (as well as a bibliography, reference notes, and a satisfactory index of topics), so it is almost a complete "civics-course-in-a-box." But, of course, I am sure the authors did not intend the book to be a textbook in civics for the public schools; it is plainly aimed at an adult audience of ordinary citizens. And that's as it should be since our adult citizenry apparently needs to know more about how the Constitution came to be and how it can now save this country from the serious partisan problems it faces, including a lack of compromise and consensus, as well as a lopsided system of checks and balances. There is hope, however. The authors suggest that "The struggles we are having, the frustrations we are feeling, are exactly the struggles and frustrations the framers anticipated when they designed our democracy. We can lean on them and their experience. By reading backward to them and their ideas, we can move forward." Yes, we can and I hope sooner rather than later. I highly recommend this book to all present and future Americans, but especially to those members of our current Congress who can't seem to get their act together and those in the executive branch, particularly the president and vice-president of the United States, who think they can act anyway they want without compromise and/or consensus and without concern for the constitutional principle of checks and balances. Even the "intellectual elites" of this nation need to be reminded now and then that this is a country with a written constitution that is "of the people, by the people, and for the people." 
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