Woodrow Wilson and the Foundations of Modern Liberalism (American Intellectual Culture)

Woodrow Wilson is best known for his service as the twenty-eighth president of the United States and his influence on American foreign policy in the twentieth century and beyond. Yet Wilson is equally important for his influence on how Americans think about their Constitution and principles of government. Ronald J. Pestritto's Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism highlights Wilson's sharp departure from the traditional principles of American government, most notably the Constitution. Pestritto persuasively argues that Wilson's unfailing criticism places him clearly in line with the Progressives' assault on the original principles of American constitutionalism. Drawing primarily from early writings and speeches that Wilson made during his years as a scholar, Pestritto examines the future president's clear and consistent ideologies that laid the foundation for later actions taken as a public leader. Engaging and thought-provoking, Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism gets to the heart of Wilson's political ideologies and brings a fresh perspective to the study of American political development.

The book emphasizes that Woodrow Wilson's influence extends beyond his tenure as the twenty-eighth president of the United States. Wilson's impact on American foreign policy in the twentieth century and beyond is well-documented, but the author argues that his influence on how Americans think about their Constitution and principles of government is equally significant. Pestritto contends that Wilson's political ideologies represent a sharp departure from the traditional principles of American government, particularly the Constitution.

Through a careful examination of Wilson's early writings and speeches as a scholar, Pestritto demonstrates that the future president held clear and consistent ideologies that would later inform his actions as a public leader. These ideologies, according to the author, placed Wilson firmly in line with the Progressives' assault on the original principles of American constitutionalism. The book presents a persuasive argument that Wilson's unfailing criticism of the Constitution and his advocacy for a more active role of the federal government in shaping society were instrumental in the development of modern liberalism in the United States.

Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism offers an engaging and thought-provoking perspective on the study of American political development. By delving into the heart of Wilson's political ideologies, the author provides readers with a fresh understanding of the factors that contributed to the evolution of the American political landscape in the twentieth century and beyond. The book's careful analysis and compelling arguments make it a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the intellectual and ideological foundations of modern American politics.

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