Constitutional Conservatism (Hoover Institution Press publication ; Book 634)

Peter Berkowitz identifies the political principles social conservatives and libertarians share, or should share, and sketches the common ground on which they can and should join forces. Drawing on the writings of Edmund Burke,The Federalist, and the high points of post-World War II American conservatism, he argues that the top political priority for social conservatives and libertarians should be to rally around the principles of liberty embodied in the US Constitution and pursue reform in light of them. Berkowitz contends that constitutional conservatism encompasses a distinguished tradition of defending liberty that stretches from the great eighteenth century British statesman Edmund Burke through the authoritative exposition of the Constitution in The Federalist to the high points of post-World War II American conservatism. In this book, he seeks to identify the political principles that social conservatives and libertarians should share, and clarify the common ground on which they should join forces. He argues that the top political priority for both social conservatives and limited-government conservatives should be to rally around, and rededicate themselves to conserving, th