The politics of ideas Book

This well-written book offers readers an inquiry into the politics of ideas, a canvass of American political theory, and an attempt to draw the connection between political theories and American public policies. All three objectives interconnect, for they sit in the middle of a larger circle of inquiry--American political thought. The author has chosen to pursue all three objectives using history as a framework wherein theories, issues, and public policies are examined in their historical and contemporary settings. Doing so assists in developing themes and propositions that unite American political thought. Herson's even-handed treatment answers basic questions of continuing personal concern such as What does it mean to be a liberal or a conservative in America? or What difference does it make for the issues that one supports or opposes?