Forgetting the Articles of Confederation

— The Republican candidates don’t seem to know why the Constitution was written —

How can you love the Founders if you don’t pay attention to what they did and why they did it?

Watching the Sunday morning New Hampshire Republican presidential debate, it’s as if American political history leaped from the Declaration of Independence straight to the Tenth Amendment.

For these candidates, it’s as if the whole experience under the Articles of Confederation and, for that matter, the crafting of the Constitution has been written out of American political development and the American narrative.

I’ll be developing this point in another post.

Amy Fried

About Amy Fried

Amy Fried loves Maine's sense of community and the wonderful mix of culture and outdoor recreation. She loves politics in three ways: as an analytical political scientist, a devoted political junkie and a citizen who believes politics matters for people's lives. Fried is Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. Her views do not reflect those of her employer or any group to which she belongs.