American Covenant

How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again

De: Yuval Levin

Narrado por: Leon Nixon

A top conservative scholar reveals the Constitution’s remarkable power to repair our broken civic culture, rescue our malfunctioning politics, and unify a fractious America

Common ground is hard to find in today’s politics. In a society teeming with irreconcilable political perspectives, many people have grown frustrated under a system of government that constantly demands compromise. More and more on both the right and the left have come to blame the Constitution for the resulting discord. But the Constitution is not the problem we face; it is the solution.

Blending engaging history with lucid analysis, conservative scholar Yuval Levin’s American Covenant recovers the Constitution’s true genius and reveals how it charts a path to repairing America’s fault lines. Uncovering the framers’ sophisticated grasp of political division, Levin showcases the Constitution’s exceptional power to facilitate constructive disagreement, negotiate resolutions to disputes, and forge unity in a fractured society. Clear-eyed about the ways that contemporary politics have malfunctioned, Levin also offers practical solutions for reforming those aspects of the constitutional order that have gone awry.

Hopeful, insightful, and rooted in the best of our political tradition, American Covenant celebrates the Constitution’s remarkable power to bind together a diverse society, reassuring us that a less divided future is within our grasp.

©2024 Yuval Levin (P)2024 Basic Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Because we Americans have forgotten how to disagree with one another, forgotten how to collaborate and compromise, Yuval Levin contends, in clear and persuasive prose, that the United States Constitution offers us a welcome framework for promoting our desperately needed national unity. Indeed, no one has ever explained so authoritatively and so judiciously the significance of the Constitution for the health of our civic life as Levin has in this brilliant book. It is an extraordinary achievement.”—Gordon Wood, author of The Creation of the American Republic

“Yuval Levin may be the most important voice in the political culture right now. His serious, solutions-based thinking is an excellent corrective to the current moment, which is seemingly all about fostering division rather than rebuilding a common sense of purpose. His new book is a key part of the solution.”—Ben Shapiro, founding editor of The Daily Wire

“In an era where both sides of the political spectrum see each other as mortal enemies and endless bickering is the norm, Yuval Levin brilliantly teaches how the spirit and substance of the Constitution can soften our animosity and make our disagreements constructive. American Covenant is a clear and hopeful guide for a more dignified and unified America.”—Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah

Profound.

How can we help our fellow citizens to embrace the wisdom of this book? Only by becoming living chapters of it.

Required reading

The most mature and balanced analysis of the underlying philosophy of the Constitution that one will ever read. Not pedantic, not rote or classroom-ish, but analytical, with frequent references to the Federalist Papers. One comes away with a more thorough understanding of what the Constitution was intended to accomplish. This book provides the tools to understand current obsessions with partisan and ideologically driven efforts to “right the arc” based solely on passion; a guide to achieving unity through process, not conquest.

An absolute must read for haters of "the other side" and for everyone else.

Even if you fancy yourself a bit of a Constitutional scholar, this book is a must read. Levin puts forward what should not be, but unfortunately is, yet another misunderstood or unknown genius of the Constitution and it's founders, namely that it was designed to manage disagreement and to force us to live together. When men are free, they will disagree and upon that, we can unite. Unity does not come from total victory over the other side, but in our action where decisions are made by the majority but never with becoming untethered to the minority. it is not an efficient system, nor is it meant to be. Those that would thwart its structure out of frustration having to deal with those who disagree, are placing the country on a path of destruction. We must accept all victories as partial and fleeting even as our concept of individual freedom and inclusively grow. Really a very well-grounded book in the founders' thinking and writing. Educational for the mind and soul and the prescription for the anger and divisiveness presently affliction the nation.

Great discussion of the founders ideas in writing the constitution

it helped me understand what we need to do to heal our country's divisions.

Phenomenal

One of the best books on politics that I have ever read in my entire life. Recommend for anyone who loves the United States of America.

Thoroughly educational

in these times, this is a needed review and summary of our Constitution, and it's multiple constructs. Its conclusion will hopefully bring us back to "We the people"..., and functional governance.

The Act of Unity and Trust to Keep Our Sacred Covenant

The author placed an appropriate emphasis on James Madison, architect and father of the Constitution, in his discussion of the aims and principles of the Framers at the Philadelphia Convention.

Through the use of Madison's Convention Notes, the Federalist Papers and other sources the author laid out in great detail intentions or purposes of the individuals who contributed to our Constitution creation.

He combined these sources of information with his thoughts throughout the book's chapters in an organized and deliberate manner. In doing so laid out his convincing arguments for structural institutional changes needed to rebuild unity, trust, and social cohesion. He provides the necessary supportive evidence guiding those arguments evolution and final conclusions

This being the civic discourse and engagement to seek changes for the continuation of our founder's great experiment in self-government of a just society.

Unity in Problem-Solving

Yuval Levin’s masterful book points the way forward in fostering a spirit of public problem-solving across our differences.

Disagree Better

Levin makes it clear that the reason our constitution “isn’t working” is because we are not operating our government as designed. Our system was not designed to elect a monarch or allow a slim majority to change everything. Therefore, it is up to us to hold Congress accountable to do the job it was designed to do. Deliberate, compromise, and lead, instead of loudly pointing to what the president should do.

The path back to political sanity

Yuval Levin is perhaps the sneakiest “most important” political voice of this early century. While other pundits are yelling and pointing fingers at perceived foes, he’s often the lone voice of reason. He’s also the rare writer that people from both sides of the aisle will quote at length.

This book is timely and directly on point for today’s raucous political environment. It’s “calm down” hands from a trusted source.

In this book Yuval is, for lack of a better comparison, Charley Steiner in the classic ESPN Y2K commercial, necktie around his forehead and lamp in hand, shouting “Follow me! Follow me to freedom!”