The Political Principles of Robert A. Taft

ISBN-13: 9781138537484 / Angielski / Twarda / 2017 / 243 str.

Russell Kirk

Opis

Robert A. Taft has been neglected by some historians and political theorists and vilified by others. Vigorously and impartially written, this book analyzes the ideas and influence of a great U.S. senator of the twentieth century. Here readers will find a close and lively examination of Taft's convictions on freedom, justice, labor policy, social reform, foreign affairs, and the responsibilities of political parties. Respected for his intelligence and integrity, Robert Taft was considered the most remarkable public man of a turbulent political era. He was strong and candid, yet was repeatedly denied executive power. Despite this, he will undoubtedly be long remembered. Drawing on many contemporary sources, including the Taft Papers in the Library of Congress, Kirk and Mc- Clellan set Taft in historical perspective. Taft's enduring significance to a normative theory of politics is made clear in this careful study, which includes extensive quotations from his outstanding speeches and writings. Available in paperback for the first time, this edition includes a new introduction by Jeffrey Nelson, who has been closely associated with Russell Kirk.

Spis treści

INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSACTION EDITION
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
I. A POLITICIAN OF PRINCIPLE
Taft's Memory
Ohio Politics
The Face of the New Deal
From Cincinnati to Washington
II. FOUNDATIONSOF DEMOCRACY
First Months in the Senate
Practical Alternatives
Debates with T. V. Smith
A Reputation for Probity
III. THE STRUGGLE FOR RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Statesmanship through Partisanship
A Party in the Wilderness
Taft's Understanding of Party
The Republican Dilemma
IV. LIBERTY UNDER LAW
The Shadow of the Total State
Liberty and Order
Civil Rights and Civil Responsibilities
Universal Military Training
The Moral Basis of Freedom
V. THE RESTRAINT OF POWER
The Primacy of Justice
Taft against the Executive Force
The Contest with President Truman
Congress and Foreign Affairs
The United States and Nuremberg Justice
The Future of Justice and Freedom
VI. ORGANIZED LABOR AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Justice, Power, and American Labor
An Enemy of Labor?
The Freedom of Labor and the Railroad Strike
The Taft-Hartley Act
Successful Defense of the Taft-Hartley Act
An Enduring Work of Equity
VII. AN ECONOMY HUMANE AND FREE
The Charitable Society and the Socialist State
Equality of Opportunity in Education
The Nation's Health and Socialized Medicine
Federal Aid in Housing
The Credo of an Humane Politician
VIII. A FOREIGN POLICY FOR AMERICANS
An Isolationist?
Confronting War and Imperialism
The Struggle against Communist Arms and Ideology
Taft in Retrospect
IX. TAFT AND PERMANENCE
A TAFT CHRONOLOGY
Index

O autorze

Russell Kirk