Reviews for A Government Out of Sight: The Mystery of National Authority in Nineteenth-Century America

The average rating for A Government Out of Sight: The Mystery of National Authority in Nineteenth-Century America based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-01-06 00:00:00 Susana Ortiz Balogh convincingly argues that federal intervention in the private sector took place from the earliest time in American history. This intervention was not particularly conspicuous before the Progressive Era-- but it was present. Although his arguments are in opposition to the traditional narrative of 18th century laissez-faire, Balogh does back up his views with ample supporting evidence. A note of caution-- the first chapter is maddeningly hard to follow due to poor organization of writing, and it contains the absurd statement that Thomas Paine served as governor of Virginia. If you can get past this, and I almost didn't, the rest of the book is much better. I was required to read this book for a graduate class and during the first couple of chapters I felt like pulling my hair out, but by the end I was glad I had stuck it out. The book turned out to be quite illuminating. I recommend this book for those who already have a strong foundational knowledge of American history and wish to delve into the nuances of the still developing role of the state.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-08-22 00:00:00 Daniel Kochis I think the key word here is emphasis. I'm not sold that Balogh introduces completely new evidence of government intervention in the 19th Century. What he does, however, is stress aspects of government authority that have been glossed over. This is a great book for a sweeping history of the nineteenth century and could easily be used as a textbook for that time.