America's Political Dilemma Hardcover

America’s Founding Fathers saw not only the blessings, but also the dangers of democracy. As a result, they provided for a Constitution designed to let reason prevail over passion and to secure a free government under which the ruling majority was restricted for the sake of the individual. Feeling that America's was a democratic challenge, they hoped that a broadening of democracy would further increase the rights of men, make the United States a powerful nation, and promote the emancipation of mankind. Professor Dietze examines whether this American Dream has, in fact, come true. Set within a rich historical and comparative framework, his thesis is that the march of democracy has made government less reasonable, has eliminated constitutional checks upon the majority, jeopardized essential rights of man, and resulted in a foreign policy which permitted a dangerous expansion of Soviet power since World War II. In view of America’s general commitment to democracy, the author asserts that her democratic challenge has become a democratic dilemma and that the development from limited to unlimited democracy may well result in some kind of executive dictatorship - even if the United States survives in the struggle with the Communist world. A native of Germany, Mr. Dietze com- plements the works of the outstanding foreign observers of the United States in this century: André Siegfried, Harold Laski, and Gunnar Myrdal. He does not, however, share the general opinion that America has a long way to go toward egalitarian democracy, but points out that on the road in that direction she has moved too far away from libertarian values and her constitutional tradition. While emphasizing the tragedy of this development, the author suggests solutions to this political dilemma. Gottfried Dietze earned doctorates in law from the University of Heidelberg, in philosophy from Princeton University, and in juridical science from the University of Virginia. He is a Professor of Political Science at The Johns Hopkins University, has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Heidelberg and at the Brookings Institution, and is the author of several books and articles in leading professional journals. He was elected a member of the Academy of Human Rights.