A Citizen's Introduction to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

by Matthew Spalding

The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution are the greatest statements of human liberty ever written. They are the highest achievements of our political tradition, powerful beacons to all who strive for liberty. Taken together, these documents represent the liberating principles that America seeks to conserve for itself and proclaim to the world. A general agreement on the core principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—equal rights grounded in a permanent human nature, constitutionalism and the rule of law, republican self government—long formed the underlying consensus of the American political tradition, but is today in doubt. If we are to restore and preserve America s principles—the truths to which we are dedicated, the common ideas that constitute us as a people—we must first rediscover them, writes Matthew Spalding, director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at The Heritage Foundation. And that demands that we rediscover the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Only then can we renew our commitment to them, to the heritage they have given us, and, more importantly, to the noble ideas and grand promises they contain.

120 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2013

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gift from The Heritage Foundation at a job fair I attended. A sound introduction to the most important documents in the history of the US. I read this after I went to the national archives to see them in person with Zach Schwartz.

The book does outline the importance of safeguarding against the "Tyranny of the Majority" and explains the reasons why these documents contain what they do and where the ideas come from. It also issues the challenge to the citizens of the US that in order for them to keep America strong, we need to return to the principles on which these documents were written. I thought this interesting considering that Democrats do not always espouse these documents as our standard, and perhaps that should raise some good points as to why they do not. I will keep this book as an important reference.