The Nexus of Governmental Integrity and the Survivability of American Constitutional Democracy
- Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2022
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
The American government is in a state of crisis--a crisis of integrity. Law is not what holds nations together; rather, cultural values and prevailing social conditions sustain an undergirding belief in the legitimacy of law. Moral and religious consensus must come before a legal order. This book discusses several cases of the erosion of credibility as examples--Gorbachev's failed attempt to modernize Russia, the deceptions of the Vietnam War, and the Iran-Contra arms scandal. Next comes a study of how civil religion and governmental integrity interplay. The final chapter is a well-documented historic overview and examination of the Supreme Court's challenging task of constitutionally defining religion, especially in cases of conscientious objections and religious exemptions to state mandates. The issues are timely, and Gatgounis is uniquely qualified to examine them as both a constitutional lawyer and religious scholar.
Endorsements (2)
“Gatgounis has explored and exposed the necessity of public values for a constitutional democracy to survive. He shows that a constitution, as a force of law, is only a piece of paper unless the people want that constitution to be binding and governing. A clear and excellent exposure of whether the American constitutional experiment will survive!”
“Gatgounis studies five pillars supporting American constitutional democracy—integrity, credibility, legitimacy, tranquility, and efficiency. Readers will recall Benjamin Franklin’s legendary response when asked during the 1787 Constitutional Convention if there would be a monarchy or a republic: ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’ For Gatgounis, ‘keeping it’ entails stability of the five pillars. He argues a strong case. Rich in thought and presentation, Gatgounis’s work shows clearly that values have consequences.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem