Books
Statesmanship and Party Government: A Study of Burke and Bolingbroke
– University of Chicago Press, 1965.Excerpt: In considering the origins of party government, we face this problem: parties are universal, but party government is recent. Parties are universal because in politics men act for… More
Sound Advice from Yale
– "Sound Advice from Yale," Polity, Vol. 5 (1972), pp. 95-111.Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration
– Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration, by Vincent Ostrom, Political Science Quarterly, Winter 1975.The Prestige of Public Employment
– "The Prestige of Public Employment," Public Employee Unions, A.L. Chickering, ed., San Francisco, California: Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1976, pp. 35-50.Representation: The Perennial Issues
– Representation: The Perennial Issues, with Robert Scigliano, pamphlet published by the American Political Science Association, 1978, 80 pp.Spirit of Liberalism
– Harvard University Press, 1978.Excerpt: IN THE election of 1972 the coalition of which the Democratic party is composed came unstuck as its voters divided into enthusiasts for McGovern or against Nixon and supporters of… More
The Media World and Democratic Representation
– "The Media World and Democratic Representation," Government and Opposition, Vol 14 (1979), pp. 318-334.The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?
– "The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?" Government and Opposition, Vol. 16 (1981), pp. 3-18.The Anti-Power Ethic
– "The Anti-Power Ethic," review article in Government and Opposition, Vol. 17 (1982), pp. 362-369.Review of The Practice of Political Authority
– Review of The Practice of Political Authority, by Richard Flathman, Independent Journal of Philosophy, vol. 4 (1983): 180-81.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law
– "Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law," Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 8 (1985), pp. 323-326.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.The Forms of Liberty
– "The Forms of Liberty," Democratic Capitalism? Essays in Search of a Concept, Fred E. Baumann, ed., Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1986, pp. 1-21.The Partisan Historian
– "The Partisan Historian," review of The Cycles of American History, by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., American Spectator, February 1987.Excerpt: The author of these sparkling essays (republished, but rewritten) is much more partisan than most other historians think proper. Whereas they see partisanship as a danger to be… More
Democracy and the Great Books
– "Democracy and the Great Books," an exchange with Richard Rorty, The New Republic, April 4, 1988. Also published in French, Commentaire, Summer 1988, pp. 492-6.Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books
– "Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books," New Republic, 4 April 1988, 33-37. Also published in French as "La Démocratie et les Grands Livre," Commentaire 11 (Summer 1988): 492-96.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Dewey, All-Out Democrat
– "Dewey, All-Out Democrat," review of John Dewey and American Democracy, by Robert B. Westbrook, Times Literary Supplement, 24 January 1992, 26.When the People Have Spoken
– "When the People Have Spoken," review of We the People, by Bruce Ackerman, Times Literary Supplement, 24 April 1992.America’s Constitutional Soul
– The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 1993)Excerpt: When it comes to American politics, I am an amateur. I love America at its best, or even at its most characteristic: “only in America.” Perhaps this kind of love ought… More
The Unfinished Revolution
– "The Unfinished Revolution," Three Beginnings: Revolution, Rights, and the Liberal State, Stephen F. Englehart and John Allphin Moore, Jr., eds., New York: Peter Lang, 1994, pp. 9-30. Reprinted in The Legacy of the French Revolution, Ralph C. Hancock and L. Gary Lambert, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996. pp. 19-41.Why Equality is Ridiculous
– "Why Equality is Ridiculous," review of In Defense of Elitism, by William A. Henry III, Wall Street Journal, 6 September 1994, A10.Foolish Cosmopolitanism
– "Foolish Cosmopolitanism," reply to Martha Nussbaum, Boston Review, October-November 1994, 10.Excerpt: Martha Nussbaum is one of the most eminent female philosophy professors of our time, but when it comes to politics, she’s a girl scout. Indeed, she has less useful… More
Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers
– "Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers," Wall Street Journal, 1 November 1994, A20.Democracy and Populism
– "Democracy and Populism," A New Moment in the Americas, Robert S. Leiken, ed., New Brunswick, N. J.: Transaction Publishers, 1995. pp. 27-30.Self-Interest Rightly Understood
– "Self-Interest Rightly Understood," Political Theory, vol. 23 (1995), No. 1, pp. 48-66.The National Prospect
– "The National Prospect," a symposium, Commentary Magazine, November 1995, 85-86.Excerpt: Lack of virtue is dimming our national prospect. This is a simpler statement than the one posed for the symposium, which lists possible causes of moral decline rather than calling… More
Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy
– "Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy," review of On the Eve of the Millennium: The Future of Democracy through an Age of Unreason, by Conor Cruise O'Brien, Washington Times, 10 December 1995, B8.Bring Back Respectability
– "Bring Back Respectability," The American Enterprise, 1996.Excerpt: Picking up trash, removing graffiti, asking the beggars to move on-at first I had trouble deciding which of these activities (any one of which would be easy to carry out) would be… More
Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy
– Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy, by Pierre Manent, English translation, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1996.Tocqueville and Conservatism
– "Tocqueville and Conservatism," panel discussion, C-SPAN, 12 September 1997.Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville
– “Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville,” Friends and Citizens: Essays in Honor of Wilson Carey McWilliams, Peter Dennis Bathory and Nancy L. Schwartz, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000, pp. 289-297.Democracy in America
– "Democracy in America," Book Notes interview with Brian Lamb, C-SPAN, 17 October 2000.Professor Harvey Mansfield discusses his recently published translation of Democracy in America.
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
– a new translation with introduction (with Delba Winthrop) University Of Chicago Press (November 1, 2000)Governing a Divided America
– "Governing a Divided America: Cling to Principle," The American Enterprise, 2001.Excerpt: Politics in a democracy ordinarily produces more frustration than satisfaction. There is always a further victory to secure. The other side never goes away. The losers must grind… More
Democratic Greatness in the American Founding
– "Democratic Greatness in the American Founding," lecture, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1 October 2004.Democracy and Greatness
– "Democracy and Greatness: The Education Americans Need," Weekly Standard, 11 December 2006.Excerpt: We sometimes hear of the place of the great books in a democratic education (not, unfortunately, at Harvard). When it is spoken of approvingly, that place is at the center or in… More
Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008
– "Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008," Weekly Standard, 25 August 2008.Excerpt: Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a hero with the hero’s virtue of courage. He displayed courage, he reflected on it. The display was for all to see, the reflection was deep,… More
Consequential Ideas
– "Consequential Ideas: Exploring the Subtle Dangers of 'Soft Despotism' in Democracies," review of Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville and the Modern Prospect, by Paul A. Rahe, Weekly Standard, 22 June 2009.Excerpt: Paul Rahe is a distinguished and prolific historian in the field of intellectual history who ventures with deliberate intent into political philosophy, judging what he sees. His… More
Tocqueville: A Very Short Introduction
– Oxford University Press, 2010.Excerpt: In view of Tocqueville’s criticisms of philosophy, it may seem paradoxical and presumptuous to call him a philosopher. But he calls himself a “new kind of liberal,” and he… More
Too Much Justice?
– "Too Much Justice?," interview in The Utopian, 30 March 2010.Excerpt: Does justice consist in just institutions? Nowadays, we tend to think of it that way. For us, justice consists, for example, in the separation of powers or an independent… More
Washington Square
– "Washington Square," review of Washington Square, by Henry James, Claremont Review of Books, 18 October 2010.Excerpt: Henry James’s short novel Washington Square is about Dr. Austin Sloper, a resident of that Square in New York City, who cannot persuade his daughter Catherine not to marry… More
Providence and Democracy
– "Providence and Democracy," Claremont Review of Books, Winter/Spring 2010/2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville was a liberal, but, as he once wrote, a “new kind of liberal.” For us, no feature of his new liberalism is more remarkable than the alliance… More
The Degradation of Modern Democracy
– "The Degradation of Modern Democracy," review of The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life, by Kenneth Minogue, Claremont Review of Books, 3 January 2011.Excerpt: Nowadays it is conservatives rather than liberals who stand up for liberty. Liberals have given themselves over to the advance of democracy, knowing not where it leads, and caring… More
To the Heart of American Exceptionalism
– "To the Heart of American Exceptionalism," Wall Street Journal, 5 February 2011.Excerpt: Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America,… More
On the Road with Alexis
– "On the Road with Alexis," Hoover Digest, 13 July 2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America, first home of… More
Democracy without Politics
– "Democracy without Politics," review of Democracy without Politics, by Steven Bilakovics, Defining Ideas, 14 March 2012.Excerpt: Steven Bilakovics has written a promising first book that will give concern to all who reflect on democracy today. It begins from the simple observation that although everybody… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 1: Party Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 3: Executive Power
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence
– "Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence," panel discussion, Hudson Institute, 28 September 2012.Over the course of an extraordinary career spanning six decades, and as the author of fourteen books and translations, Professor Harvey C. Mansfield of Harvard University has made a lasting… More
The Crisis of American Self-Government
– "The Crisis of American Self-Government," interview with Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2012.Excerpt: Equality untempered by liberty invites disaster, he says. “There is a difference between making a form of government more like itself,” Mr. Mansfield says, “and… More
What Is the Future of Conservatism?
– "What Is the Future of Conservatism?," Commentary Magazine, January 2013.Excerpt: It’s possible to be too concerned with the future–or to be judged too concerned–as conservatives discovered in the election of 2012. In winning, liberals paid almost no… More
Machiavelli’s Virtue
– Robert D. Kaplan, “Machiavelli’s Virtue,” Stratfor Global Intelligence, March 20, 2013.Excerpt: Self-interest informs compromise with other human beings, and thus a state governed by self-interest is likely to compromise with other states: whereas a person or state governed… More
Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville
– "Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville: A Conversation on Democracy in America with Harvey Mansfield," Interview by Chris Barker and Tao Wang, Anamnesis Journal, Fall, 2014.In the online journal Anamnesis, Chris Barker and Tao Wang interview Harvey Mansfield about Alexis de Tocqueville: Excerpt: HM: Democracy in America especially is a book on political… More
Dressing Up
– "Dressing Up," Weekly Standard, June 19, 2015.Commencement remarks delivered at the John Adams Academy, a charter high school in Roseville, California, on June 5, 2015. Excerpt: A graduation ceremony is a moment of pride in which we do… More
Essays
Statesmanship and Party Government: A Study of Burke and Bolingbroke
– University of Chicago Press, 1965.Excerpt: In considering the origins of party government, we face this problem: parties are universal, but party government is recent. Parties are universal because in politics men act for… More
Sound Advice from Yale
– "Sound Advice from Yale," Polity, Vol. 5 (1972), pp. 95-111.Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration
– Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration, by Vincent Ostrom, Political Science Quarterly, Winter 1975.The Prestige of Public Employment
– "The Prestige of Public Employment," Public Employee Unions, A.L. Chickering, ed., San Francisco, California: Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1976, pp. 35-50.Representation: The Perennial Issues
– Representation: The Perennial Issues, with Robert Scigliano, pamphlet published by the American Political Science Association, 1978, 80 pp.Spirit of Liberalism
– Harvard University Press, 1978.Excerpt: IN THE election of 1972 the coalition of which the Democratic party is composed came unstuck as its voters divided into enthusiasts for McGovern or against Nixon and supporters of… More
The Media World and Democratic Representation
– "The Media World and Democratic Representation," Government and Opposition, Vol 14 (1979), pp. 318-334.The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?
– "The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?" Government and Opposition, Vol. 16 (1981), pp. 3-18.The Anti-Power Ethic
– "The Anti-Power Ethic," review article in Government and Opposition, Vol. 17 (1982), pp. 362-369.Review of The Practice of Political Authority
– Review of The Practice of Political Authority, by Richard Flathman, Independent Journal of Philosophy, vol. 4 (1983): 180-81.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law
– "Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law," Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 8 (1985), pp. 323-326.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.The Forms of Liberty
– "The Forms of Liberty," Democratic Capitalism? Essays in Search of a Concept, Fred E. Baumann, ed., Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1986, pp. 1-21.The Partisan Historian
– "The Partisan Historian," review of The Cycles of American History, by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., American Spectator, February 1987.Excerpt: The author of these sparkling essays (republished, but rewritten) is much more partisan than most other historians think proper. Whereas they see partisanship as a danger to be… More
Democracy and the Great Books
– "Democracy and the Great Books," an exchange with Richard Rorty, The New Republic, April 4, 1988. Also published in French, Commentaire, Summer 1988, pp. 492-6.Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books
– "Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books," New Republic, 4 April 1988, 33-37. Also published in French as "La Démocratie et les Grands Livre," Commentaire 11 (Summer 1988): 492-96.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Dewey, All-Out Democrat
– "Dewey, All-Out Democrat," review of John Dewey and American Democracy, by Robert B. Westbrook, Times Literary Supplement, 24 January 1992, 26.When the People Have Spoken
– "When the People Have Spoken," review of We the People, by Bruce Ackerman, Times Literary Supplement, 24 April 1992.America’s Constitutional Soul
– The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 1993)Excerpt: When it comes to American politics, I am an amateur. I love America at its best, or even at its most characteristic: “only in America.” Perhaps this kind of love ought… More
The Unfinished Revolution
– "The Unfinished Revolution," Three Beginnings: Revolution, Rights, and the Liberal State, Stephen F. Englehart and John Allphin Moore, Jr., eds., New York: Peter Lang, 1994, pp. 9-30. Reprinted in The Legacy of the French Revolution, Ralph C. Hancock and L. Gary Lambert, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996. pp. 19-41.Why Equality is Ridiculous
– "Why Equality is Ridiculous," review of In Defense of Elitism, by William A. Henry III, Wall Street Journal, 6 September 1994, A10.Foolish Cosmopolitanism
– "Foolish Cosmopolitanism," reply to Martha Nussbaum, Boston Review, October-November 1994, 10.Excerpt: Martha Nussbaum is one of the most eminent female philosophy professors of our time, but when it comes to politics, she’s a girl scout. Indeed, she has less useful… More
Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers
– "Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers," Wall Street Journal, 1 November 1994, A20.Democracy and Populism
– "Democracy and Populism," A New Moment in the Americas, Robert S. Leiken, ed., New Brunswick, N. J.: Transaction Publishers, 1995. pp. 27-30.Self-Interest Rightly Understood
– "Self-Interest Rightly Understood," Political Theory, vol. 23 (1995), No. 1, pp. 48-66.The National Prospect
– "The National Prospect," a symposium, Commentary Magazine, November 1995, 85-86.Excerpt: Lack of virtue is dimming our national prospect. This is a simpler statement than the one posed for the symposium, which lists possible causes of moral decline rather than calling… More
Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy
– "Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy," review of On the Eve of the Millennium: The Future of Democracy through an Age of Unreason, by Conor Cruise O'Brien, Washington Times, 10 December 1995, B8.Bring Back Respectability
– "Bring Back Respectability," The American Enterprise, 1996.Excerpt: Picking up trash, removing graffiti, asking the beggars to move on-at first I had trouble deciding which of these activities (any one of which would be easy to carry out) would be… More
Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy
– Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy, by Pierre Manent, English translation, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1996.Tocqueville and Conservatism
– "Tocqueville and Conservatism," panel discussion, C-SPAN, 12 September 1997.Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville
– “Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville,” Friends and Citizens: Essays in Honor of Wilson Carey McWilliams, Peter Dennis Bathory and Nancy L. Schwartz, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000, pp. 289-297.Democracy in America
– "Democracy in America," Book Notes interview with Brian Lamb, C-SPAN, 17 October 2000.Professor Harvey Mansfield discusses his recently published translation of Democracy in America.
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
– a new translation with introduction (with Delba Winthrop) University Of Chicago Press (November 1, 2000)Governing a Divided America
– "Governing a Divided America: Cling to Principle," The American Enterprise, 2001.Excerpt: Politics in a democracy ordinarily produces more frustration than satisfaction. There is always a further victory to secure. The other side never goes away. The losers must grind… More
Democratic Greatness in the American Founding
– "Democratic Greatness in the American Founding," lecture, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1 October 2004.Democracy and Greatness
– "Democracy and Greatness: The Education Americans Need," Weekly Standard, 11 December 2006.Excerpt: We sometimes hear of the place of the great books in a democratic education (not, unfortunately, at Harvard). When it is spoken of approvingly, that place is at the center or in… More
Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008
– "Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008," Weekly Standard, 25 August 2008.Excerpt: Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a hero with the hero’s virtue of courage. He displayed courage, he reflected on it. The display was for all to see, the reflection was deep,… More
Consequential Ideas
– "Consequential Ideas: Exploring the Subtle Dangers of 'Soft Despotism' in Democracies," review of Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville and the Modern Prospect, by Paul A. Rahe, Weekly Standard, 22 June 2009.Excerpt: Paul Rahe is a distinguished and prolific historian in the field of intellectual history who ventures with deliberate intent into political philosophy, judging what he sees. His… More
Tocqueville: A Very Short Introduction
– Oxford University Press, 2010.Excerpt: In view of Tocqueville’s criticisms of philosophy, it may seem paradoxical and presumptuous to call him a philosopher. But he calls himself a “new kind of liberal,” and he… More
Too Much Justice?
– "Too Much Justice?," interview in The Utopian, 30 March 2010.Excerpt: Does justice consist in just institutions? Nowadays, we tend to think of it that way. For us, justice consists, for example, in the separation of powers or an independent… More
Washington Square
– "Washington Square," review of Washington Square, by Henry James, Claremont Review of Books, 18 October 2010.Excerpt: Henry James’s short novel Washington Square is about Dr. Austin Sloper, a resident of that Square in New York City, who cannot persuade his daughter Catherine not to marry… More
Providence and Democracy
– "Providence and Democracy," Claremont Review of Books, Winter/Spring 2010/2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville was a liberal, but, as he once wrote, a “new kind of liberal.” For us, no feature of his new liberalism is more remarkable than the alliance… More
The Degradation of Modern Democracy
– "The Degradation of Modern Democracy," review of The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life, by Kenneth Minogue, Claremont Review of Books, 3 January 2011.Excerpt: Nowadays it is conservatives rather than liberals who stand up for liberty. Liberals have given themselves over to the advance of democracy, knowing not where it leads, and caring… More
To the Heart of American Exceptionalism
– "To the Heart of American Exceptionalism," Wall Street Journal, 5 February 2011.Excerpt: Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America,… More
On the Road with Alexis
– "On the Road with Alexis," Hoover Digest, 13 July 2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America, first home of… More
Democracy without Politics
– "Democracy without Politics," review of Democracy without Politics, by Steven Bilakovics, Defining Ideas, 14 March 2012.Excerpt: Steven Bilakovics has written a promising first book that will give concern to all who reflect on democracy today. It begins from the simple observation that although everybody… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 1: Party Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 3: Executive Power
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence
– "Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence," panel discussion, Hudson Institute, 28 September 2012.Over the course of an extraordinary career spanning six decades, and as the author of fourteen books and translations, Professor Harvey C. Mansfield of Harvard University has made a lasting… More
The Crisis of American Self-Government
– "The Crisis of American Self-Government," interview with Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2012.Excerpt: Equality untempered by liberty invites disaster, he says. “There is a difference between making a form of government more like itself,” Mr. Mansfield says, “and… More
What Is the Future of Conservatism?
– "What Is the Future of Conservatism?," Commentary Magazine, January 2013.Excerpt: It’s possible to be too concerned with the future–or to be judged too concerned–as conservatives discovered in the election of 2012. In winning, liberals paid almost no… More
Machiavelli’s Virtue
– Robert D. Kaplan, “Machiavelli’s Virtue,” Stratfor Global Intelligence, March 20, 2013.Excerpt: Self-interest informs compromise with other human beings, and thus a state governed by self-interest is likely to compromise with other states: whereas a person or state governed… More
Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville
– "Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville: A Conversation on Democracy in America with Harvey Mansfield," Interview by Chris Barker and Tao Wang, Anamnesis Journal, Fall, 2014.In the online journal Anamnesis, Chris Barker and Tao Wang interview Harvey Mansfield about Alexis de Tocqueville: Excerpt: HM: Democracy in America especially is a book on political… More
Dressing Up
– "Dressing Up," Weekly Standard, June 19, 2015.Commencement remarks delivered at the John Adams Academy, a charter high school in Roseville, California, on June 5, 2015. Excerpt: A graduation ceremony is a moment of pride in which we do… More
Commentary
Statesmanship and Party Government: A Study of Burke and Bolingbroke
– University of Chicago Press, 1965.Excerpt: In considering the origins of party government, we face this problem: parties are universal, but party government is recent. Parties are universal because in politics men act for… More
Sound Advice from Yale
– "Sound Advice from Yale," Polity, Vol. 5 (1972), pp. 95-111.Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration
– Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration, by Vincent Ostrom, Political Science Quarterly, Winter 1975.The Prestige of Public Employment
– "The Prestige of Public Employment," Public Employee Unions, A.L. Chickering, ed., San Francisco, California: Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1976, pp. 35-50.Representation: The Perennial Issues
– Representation: The Perennial Issues, with Robert Scigliano, pamphlet published by the American Political Science Association, 1978, 80 pp.Spirit of Liberalism
– Harvard University Press, 1978.Excerpt: IN THE election of 1972 the coalition of which the Democratic party is composed came unstuck as its voters divided into enthusiasts for McGovern or against Nixon and supporters of… More
The Media World and Democratic Representation
– "The Media World and Democratic Representation," Government and Opposition, Vol 14 (1979), pp. 318-334.The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?
– "The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?" Government and Opposition, Vol. 16 (1981), pp. 3-18.The Anti-Power Ethic
– "The Anti-Power Ethic," review article in Government and Opposition, Vol. 17 (1982), pp. 362-369.Review of The Practice of Political Authority
– Review of The Practice of Political Authority, by Richard Flathman, Independent Journal of Philosophy, vol. 4 (1983): 180-81.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law
– "Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law," Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 8 (1985), pp. 323-326.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.The Forms of Liberty
– "The Forms of Liberty," Democratic Capitalism? Essays in Search of a Concept, Fred E. Baumann, ed., Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1986, pp. 1-21.The Partisan Historian
– "The Partisan Historian," review of The Cycles of American History, by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., American Spectator, February 1987.Excerpt: The author of these sparkling essays (republished, but rewritten) is much more partisan than most other historians think proper. Whereas they see partisanship as a danger to be… More
Democracy and the Great Books
– "Democracy and the Great Books," an exchange with Richard Rorty, The New Republic, April 4, 1988. Also published in French, Commentaire, Summer 1988, pp. 492-6.Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books
– "Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books," New Republic, 4 April 1988, 33-37. Also published in French as "La Démocratie et les Grands Livre," Commentaire 11 (Summer 1988): 492-96.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Dewey, All-Out Democrat
– "Dewey, All-Out Democrat," review of John Dewey and American Democracy, by Robert B. Westbrook, Times Literary Supplement, 24 January 1992, 26.When the People Have Spoken
– "When the People Have Spoken," review of We the People, by Bruce Ackerman, Times Literary Supplement, 24 April 1992.America’s Constitutional Soul
– The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 1993)Excerpt: When it comes to American politics, I am an amateur. I love America at its best, or even at its most characteristic: “only in America.” Perhaps this kind of love ought… More
The Unfinished Revolution
– "The Unfinished Revolution," Three Beginnings: Revolution, Rights, and the Liberal State, Stephen F. Englehart and John Allphin Moore, Jr., eds., New York: Peter Lang, 1994, pp. 9-30. Reprinted in The Legacy of the French Revolution, Ralph C. Hancock and L. Gary Lambert, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996. pp. 19-41.Why Equality is Ridiculous
– "Why Equality is Ridiculous," review of In Defense of Elitism, by William A. Henry III, Wall Street Journal, 6 September 1994, A10.Foolish Cosmopolitanism
– "Foolish Cosmopolitanism," reply to Martha Nussbaum, Boston Review, October-November 1994, 10.Excerpt: Martha Nussbaum is one of the most eminent female philosophy professors of our time, but when it comes to politics, she’s a girl scout. Indeed, she has less useful… More
Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers
– "Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers," Wall Street Journal, 1 November 1994, A20.Democracy and Populism
– "Democracy and Populism," A New Moment in the Americas, Robert S. Leiken, ed., New Brunswick, N. J.: Transaction Publishers, 1995. pp. 27-30.Self-Interest Rightly Understood
– "Self-Interest Rightly Understood," Political Theory, vol. 23 (1995), No. 1, pp. 48-66.The National Prospect
– "The National Prospect," a symposium, Commentary Magazine, November 1995, 85-86.Excerpt: Lack of virtue is dimming our national prospect. This is a simpler statement than the one posed for the symposium, which lists possible causes of moral decline rather than calling… More
Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy
– "Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy," review of On the Eve of the Millennium: The Future of Democracy through an Age of Unreason, by Conor Cruise O'Brien, Washington Times, 10 December 1995, B8.Bring Back Respectability
– "Bring Back Respectability," The American Enterprise, 1996.Excerpt: Picking up trash, removing graffiti, asking the beggars to move on-at first I had trouble deciding which of these activities (any one of which would be easy to carry out) would be… More
Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy
– Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy, by Pierre Manent, English translation, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1996.Tocqueville and Conservatism
– "Tocqueville and Conservatism," panel discussion, C-SPAN, 12 September 1997.Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville
– “Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville,” Friends and Citizens: Essays in Honor of Wilson Carey McWilliams, Peter Dennis Bathory and Nancy L. Schwartz, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000, pp. 289-297.Democracy in America
– "Democracy in America," Book Notes interview with Brian Lamb, C-SPAN, 17 October 2000.Professor Harvey Mansfield discusses his recently published translation of Democracy in America.
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
– a new translation with introduction (with Delba Winthrop) University Of Chicago Press (November 1, 2000)Governing a Divided America
– "Governing a Divided America: Cling to Principle," The American Enterprise, 2001.Excerpt: Politics in a democracy ordinarily produces more frustration than satisfaction. There is always a further victory to secure. The other side never goes away. The losers must grind… More
Democratic Greatness in the American Founding
– "Democratic Greatness in the American Founding," lecture, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1 October 2004.Democracy and Greatness
– "Democracy and Greatness: The Education Americans Need," Weekly Standard, 11 December 2006.Excerpt: We sometimes hear of the place of the great books in a democratic education (not, unfortunately, at Harvard). When it is spoken of approvingly, that place is at the center or in… More
Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008
– "Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008," Weekly Standard, 25 August 2008.Excerpt: Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a hero with the hero’s virtue of courage. He displayed courage, he reflected on it. The display was for all to see, the reflection was deep,… More
Consequential Ideas
– "Consequential Ideas: Exploring the Subtle Dangers of 'Soft Despotism' in Democracies," review of Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville and the Modern Prospect, by Paul A. Rahe, Weekly Standard, 22 June 2009.Excerpt: Paul Rahe is a distinguished and prolific historian in the field of intellectual history who ventures with deliberate intent into political philosophy, judging what he sees. His… More
Tocqueville: A Very Short Introduction
– Oxford University Press, 2010.Excerpt: In view of Tocqueville’s criticisms of philosophy, it may seem paradoxical and presumptuous to call him a philosopher. But he calls himself a “new kind of liberal,” and he… More
Too Much Justice?
– "Too Much Justice?," interview in The Utopian, 30 March 2010.Excerpt: Does justice consist in just institutions? Nowadays, we tend to think of it that way. For us, justice consists, for example, in the separation of powers or an independent… More
Washington Square
– "Washington Square," review of Washington Square, by Henry James, Claremont Review of Books, 18 October 2010.Excerpt: Henry James’s short novel Washington Square is about Dr. Austin Sloper, a resident of that Square in New York City, who cannot persuade his daughter Catherine not to marry… More
Providence and Democracy
– "Providence and Democracy," Claremont Review of Books, Winter/Spring 2010/2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville was a liberal, but, as he once wrote, a “new kind of liberal.” For us, no feature of his new liberalism is more remarkable than the alliance… More
The Degradation of Modern Democracy
– "The Degradation of Modern Democracy," review of The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life, by Kenneth Minogue, Claremont Review of Books, 3 January 2011.Excerpt: Nowadays it is conservatives rather than liberals who stand up for liberty. Liberals have given themselves over to the advance of democracy, knowing not where it leads, and caring… More
To the Heart of American Exceptionalism
– "To the Heart of American Exceptionalism," Wall Street Journal, 5 February 2011.Excerpt: Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America,… More
On the Road with Alexis
– "On the Road with Alexis," Hoover Digest, 13 July 2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America, first home of… More
Democracy without Politics
– "Democracy without Politics," review of Democracy without Politics, by Steven Bilakovics, Defining Ideas, 14 March 2012.Excerpt: Steven Bilakovics has written a promising first book that will give concern to all who reflect on democracy today. It begins from the simple observation that although everybody… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 1: Party Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 3: Executive Power
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence
– "Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence," panel discussion, Hudson Institute, 28 September 2012.Over the course of an extraordinary career spanning six decades, and as the author of fourteen books and translations, Professor Harvey C. Mansfield of Harvard University has made a lasting… More
The Crisis of American Self-Government
– "The Crisis of American Self-Government," interview with Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2012.Excerpt: Equality untempered by liberty invites disaster, he says. “There is a difference between making a form of government more like itself,” Mr. Mansfield says, “and… More
What Is the Future of Conservatism?
– "What Is the Future of Conservatism?," Commentary Magazine, January 2013.Excerpt: It’s possible to be too concerned with the future–or to be judged too concerned–as conservatives discovered in the election of 2012. In winning, liberals paid almost no… More
Machiavelli’s Virtue
– Robert D. Kaplan, “Machiavelli’s Virtue,” Stratfor Global Intelligence, March 20, 2013.Excerpt: Self-interest informs compromise with other human beings, and thus a state governed by self-interest is likely to compromise with other states: whereas a person or state governed… More
Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville
– "Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville: A Conversation on Democracy in America with Harvey Mansfield," Interview by Chris Barker and Tao Wang, Anamnesis Journal, Fall, 2014.In the online journal Anamnesis, Chris Barker and Tao Wang interview Harvey Mansfield about Alexis de Tocqueville: Excerpt: HM: Democracy in America especially is a book on political… More
Dressing Up
– "Dressing Up," Weekly Standard, June 19, 2015.Commencement remarks delivered at the John Adams Academy, a charter high school in Roseville, California, on June 5, 2015. Excerpt: A graduation ceremony is a moment of pride in which we do… More
Multimedia
Statesmanship and Party Government: A Study of Burke and Bolingbroke
– University of Chicago Press, 1965.Excerpt: In considering the origins of party government, we face this problem: parties are universal, but party government is recent. Parties are universal because in politics men act for… More
Sound Advice from Yale
– "Sound Advice from Yale," Polity, Vol. 5 (1972), pp. 95-111.Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration
– Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration, by Vincent Ostrom, Political Science Quarterly, Winter 1975.The Prestige of Public Employment
– "The Prestige of Public Employment," Public Employee Unions, A.L. Chickering, ed., San Francisco, California: Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1976, pp. 35-50.Representation: The Perennial Issues
– Representation: The Perennial Issues, with Robert Scigliano, pamphlet published by the American Political Science Association, 1978, 80 pp.Spirit of Liberalism
– Harvard University Press, 1978.Excerpt: IN THE election of 1972 the coalition of which the Democratic party is composed came unstuck as its voters divided into enthusiasts for McGovern or against Nixon and supporters of… More
The Media World and Democratic Representation
– "The Media World and Democratic Representation," Government and Opposition, Vol 14 (1979), pp. 318-334.The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?
– "The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?" Government and Opposition, Vol. 16 (1981), pp. 3-18.The Anti-Power Ethic
– "The Anti-Power Ethic," review article in Government and Opposition, Vol. 17 (1982), pp. 362-369.Review of The Practice of Political Authority
– Review of The Practice of Political Authority, by Richard Flathman, Independent Journal of Philosophy, vol. 4 (1983): 180-81.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law
– "Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law," Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 8 (1985), pp. 323-326.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.The Forms of Liberty
– "The Forms of Liberty," Democratic Capitalism? Essays in Search of a Concept, Fred E. Baumann, ed., Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1986, pp. 1-21.The Partisan Historian
– "The Partisan Historian," review of The Cycles of American History, by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., American Spectator, February 1987.Excerpt: The author of these sparkling essays (republished, but rewritten) is much more partisan than most other historians think proper. Whereas they see partisanship as a danger to be… More
Democracy and the Great Books
– "Democracy and the Great Books," an exchange with Richard Rorty, The New Republic, April 4, 1988. Also published in French, Commentaire, Summer 1988, pp. 492-6.Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books
– "Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books," New Republic, 4 April 1988, 33-37. Also published in French as "La Démocratie et les Grands Livre," Commentaire 11 (Summer 1988): 492-96.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Dewey, All-Out Democrat
– "Dewey, All-Out Democrat," review of John Dewey and American Democracy, by Robert B. Westbrook, Times Literary Supplement, 24 January 1992, 26.When the People Have Spoken
– "When the People Have Spoken," review of We the People, by Bruce Ackerman, Times Literary Supplement, 24 April 1992.America’s Constitutional Soul
– The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 1993)Excerpt: When it comes to American politics, I am an amateur. I love America at its best, or even at its most characteristic: “only in America.” Perhaps this kind of love ought… More
The Unfinished Revolution
– "The Unfinished Revolution," Three Beginnings: Revolution, Rights, and the Liberal State, Stephen F. Englehart and John Allphin Moore, Jr., eds., New York: Peter Lang, 1994, pp. 9-30. Reprinted in The Legacy of the French Revolution, Ralph C. Hancock and L. Gary Lambert, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996. pp. 19-41.Why Equality is Ridiculous
– "Why Equality is Ridiculous," review of In Defense of Elitism, by William A. Henry III, Wall Street Journal, 6 September 1994, A10.Foolish Cosmopolitanism
– "Foolish Cosmopolitanism," reply to Martha Nussbaum, Boston Review, October-November 1994, 10.Excerpt: Martha Nussbaum is one of the most eminent female philosophy professors of our time, but when it comes to politics, she’s a girl scout. Indeed, she has less useful… More
Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers
– "Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers," Wall Street Journal, 1 November 1994, A20.Democracy and Populism
– "Democracy and Populism," A New Moment in the Americas, Robert S. Leiken, ed., New Brunswick, N. J.: Transaction Publishers, 1995. pp. 27-30.Self-Interest Rightly Understood
– "Self-Interest Rightly Understood," Political Theory, vol. 23 (1995), No. 1, pp. 48-66.The National Prospect
– "The National Prospect," a symposium, Commentary Magazine, November 1995, 85-86.Excerpt: Lack of virtue is dimming our national prospect. This is a simpler statement than the one posed for the symposium, which lists possible causes of moral decline rather than calling… More
Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy
– "Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy," review of On the Eve of the Millennium: The Future of Democracy through an Age of Unreason, by Conor Cruise O'Brien, Washington Times, 10 December 1995, B8.Bring Back Respectability
– "Bring Back Respectability," The American Enterprise, 1996.Excerpt: Picking up trash, removing graffiti, asking the beggars to move on-at first I had trouble deciding which of these activities (any one of which would be easy to carry out) would be… More
Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy
– Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy, by Pierre Manent, English translation, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1996.Tocqueville and Conservatism
– "Tocqueville and Conservatism," panel discussion, C-SPAN, 12 September 1997.Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville
– “Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville,” Friends and Citizens: Essays in Honor of Wilson Carey McWilliams, Peter Dennis Bathory and Nancy L. Schwartz, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000, pp. 289-297.Democracy in America
– "Democracy in America," Book Notes interview with Brian Lamb, C-SPAN, 17 October 2000.Professor Harvey Mansfield discusses his recently published translation of Democracy in America.
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
– a new translation with introduction (with Delba Winthrop) University Of Chicago Press (November 1, 2000)Governing a Divided America
– "Governing a Divided America: Cling to Principle," The American Enterprise, 2001.Excerpt: Politics in a democracy ordinarily produces more frustration than satisfaction. There is always a further victory to secure. The other side never goes away. The losers must grind… More
Democratic Greatness in the American Founding
– "Democratic Greatness in the American Founding," lecture, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1 October 2004.Democracy and Greatness
– "Democracy and Greatness: The Education Americans Need," Weekly Standard, 11 December 2006.Excerpt: We sometimes hear of the place of the great books in a democratic education (not, unfortunately, at Harvard). When it is spoken of approvingly, that place is at the center or in… More
Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008
– "Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008," Weekly Standard, 25 August 2008.Excerpt: Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a hero with the hero’s virtue of courage. He displayed courage, he reflected on it. The display was for all to see, the reflection was deep,… More
Consequential Ideas
– "Consequential Ideas: Exploring the Subtle Dangers of 'Soft Despotism' in Democracies," review of Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville and the Modern Prospect, by Paul A. Rahe, Weekly Standard, 22 June 2009.Excerpt: Paul Rahe is a distinguished and prolific historian in the field of intellectual history who ventures with deliberate intent into political philosophy, judging what he sees. His… More
Tocqueville: A Very Short Introduction
– Oxford University Press, 2010.Excerpt: In view of Tocqueville’s criticisms of philosophy, it may seem paradoxical and presumptuous to call him a philosopher. But he calls himself a “new kind of liberal,” and he… More
Too Much Justice?
– "Too Much Justice?," interview in The Utopian, 30 March 2010.Excerpt: Does justice consist in just institutions? Nowadays, we tend to think of it that way. For us, justice consists, for example, in the separation of powers or an independent… More
Washington Square
– "Washington Square," review of Washington Square, by Henry James, Claremont Review of Books, 18 October 2010.Excerpt: Henry James’s short novel Washington Square is about Dr. Austin Sloper, a resident of that Square in New York City, who cannot persuade his daughter Catherine not to marry… More
Providence and Democracy
– "Providence and Democracy," Claremont Review of Books, Winter/Spring 2010/2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville was a liberal, but, as he once wrote, a “new kind of liberal.” For us, no feature of his new liberalism is more remarkable than the alliance… More
The Degradation of Modern Democracy
– "The Degradation of Modern Democracy," review of The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life, by Kenneth Minogue, Claremont Review of Books, 3 January 2011.Excerpt: Nowadays it is conservatives rather than liberals who stand up for liberty. Liberals have given themselves over to the advance of democracy, knowing not where it leads, and caring… More
To the Heart of American Exceptionalism
– "To the Heart of American Exceptionalism," Wall Street Journal, 5 February 2011.Excerpt: Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America,… More
On the Road with Alexis
– "On the Road with Alexis," Hoover Digest, 13 July 2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America, first home of… More
Democracy without Politics
– "Democracy without Politics," review of Democracy without Politics, by Steven Bilakovics, Defining Ideas, 14 March 2012.Excerpt: Steven Bilakovics has written a promising first book that will give concern to all who reflect on democracy today. It begins from the simple observation that although everybody… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 1: Party Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 3: Executive Power
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence
– "Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence," panel discussion, Hudson Institute, 28 September 2012.Over the course of an extraordinary career spanning six decades, and as the author of fourteen books and translations, Professor Harvey C. Mansfield of Harvard University has made a lasting… More
The Crisis of American Self-Government
– "The Crisis of American Self-Government," interview with Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2012.Excerpt: Equality untempered by liberty invites disaster, he says. “There is a difference between making a form of government more like itself,” Mr. Mansfield says, “and… More
What Is the Future of Conservatism?
– "What Is the Future of Conservatism?," Commentary Magazine, January 2013.Excerpt: It’s possible to be too concerned with the future–or to be judged too concerned–as conservatives discovered in the election of 2012. In winning, liberals paid almost no… More
Machiavelli’s Virtue
– Robert D. Kaplan, “Machiavelli’s Virtue,” Stratfor Global Intelligence, March 20, 2013.Excerpt: Self-interest informs compromise with other human beings, and thus a state governed by self-interest is likely to compromise with other states: whereas a person or state governed… More
Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville
– "Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville: A Conversation on Democracy in America with Harvey Mansfield," Interview by Chris Barker and Tao Wang, Anamnesis Journal, Fall, 2014.In the online journal Anamnesis, Chris Barker and Tao Wang interview Harvey Mansfield about Alexis de Tocqueville: Excerpt: HM: Democracy in America especially is a book on political… More
Dressing Up
– "Dressing Up," Weekly Standard, June 19, 2015.Commencement remarks delivered at the John Adams Academy, a charter high school in Roseville, California, on June 5, 2015. Excerpt: A graduation ceremony is a moment of pride in which we do… More
Teaching
Statesmanship and Party Government: A Study of Burke and Bolingbroke
– University of Chicago Press, 1965.Excerpt: In considering the origins of party government, we face this problem: parties are universal, but party government is recent. Parties are universal because in politics men act for… More
Sound Advice from Yale
– "Sound Advice from Yale," Polity, Vol. 5 (1972), pp. 95-111.Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration
– Review of The Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration, by Vincent Ostrom, Political Science Quarterly, Winter 1975.The Prestige of Public Employment
– "The Prestige of Public Employment," Public Employee Unions, A.L. Chickering, ed., San Francisco, California: Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1976, pp. 35-50.Representation: The Perennial Issues
– Representation: The Perennial Issues, with Robert Scigliano, pamphlet published by the American Political Science Association, 1978, 80 pp.Spirit of Liberalism
– Harvard University Press, 1978.Excerpt: IN THE election of 1972 the coalition of which the Democratic party is composed came unstuck as its voters divided into enthusiasts for McGovern or against Nixon and supporters of… More
The Media World and Democratic Representation
– "The Media World and Democratic Representation," Government and Opposition, Vol 14 (1979), pp. 318-334.The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?
– "The American Election: Towards Constitutional Democracy?" Government and Opposition, Vol. 16 (1981), pp. 3-18.The Anti-Power Ethic
– "The Anti-Power Ethic," review article in Government and Opposition, Vol. 17 (1982), pp. 362-369.Review of The Practice of Political Authority
– Review of The Practice of Political Authority, by Richard Flathman, Independent Journal of Philosophy, vol. 4 (1983): 180-81.The Forms and Formalities of Liberty
– "The Forms and Formalities of Liberty," The Public Interest, No. 70 (Winter 1983), pp. 121-131.Excerpt: This statement is long for an epigraph but dense enough to require explanation, and deep enough to reward reflection. Speaking of “forms,” Tocqueville directs our… More
Selected Letters of Edmund Burke
– Edited with an introduction entitled "Burke's Theory of Political Practice," University of Chicago Press, 1984.Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law
– "Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law," Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 8 (1985), pp. 323-326.Preface to The Government of Poland
– Preface to The Government of Poland, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, trans. Willmoore Kendall, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1985.The Forms of Liberty
– "The Forms of Liberty," Democratic Capitalism? Essays in Search of a Concept, Fred E. Baumann, ed., Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1986, pp. 1-21.The Partisan Historian
– "The Partisan Historian," review of The Cycles of American History, by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., American Spectator, February 1987.Excerpt: The author of these sparkling essays (republished, but rewritten) is much more partisan than most other historians think proper. Whereas they see partisanship as a danger to be… More
Democracy and the Great Books
– "Democracy and the Great Books," an exchange with Richard Rorty, The New Republic, April 4, 1988. Also published in French, Commentaire, Summer 1988, pp. 492-6.Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books
– "Straussianism, Democracy and Allan Bloom, II: Democracy and the Great Books," New Republic, 4 April 1988, 33-37. Also published in French as "La Démocratie et les Grands Livre," Commentaire 11 (Summer 1988): 492-96.Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power
– The Free Press, 1989; paperback edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (April 1, 1993)Excerpt: To understand the modern doctrine of executive power, we need to know, at least approximately, what executive power is. It might at first seem best to go directly to the thing and… More
Dewey, All-Out Democrat
– "Dewey, All-Out Democrat," review of John Dewey and American Democracy, by Robert B. Westbrook, Times Literary Supplement, 24 January 1992, 26.When the People Have Spoken
– "When the People Have Spoken," review of We the People, by Bruce Ackerman, Times Literary Supplement, 24 April 1992.America’s Constitutional Soul
– The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 1993)Excerpt: When it comes to American politics, I am an amateur. I love America at its best, or even at its most characteristic: “only in America.” Perhaps this kind of love ought… More
The Unfinished Revolution
– "The Unfinished Revolution," Three Beginnings: Revolution, Rights, and the Liberal State, Stephen F. Englehart and John Allphin Moore, Jr., eds., New York: Peter Lang, 1994, pp. 9-30. Reprinted in The Legacy of the French Revolution, Ralph C. Hancock and L. Gary Lambert, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996. pp. 19-41.Why Equality is Ridiculous
– "Why Equality is Ridiculous," review of In Defense of Elitism, by William A. Henry III, Wall Street Journal, 6 September 1994, A10.Foolish Cosmopolitanism
– "Foolish Cosmopolitanism," reply to Martha Nussbaum, Boston Review, October-November 1994, 10.Excerpt: Martha Nussbaum is one of the most eminent female philosophy professors of our time, but when it comes to politics, she’s a girl scout. Indeed, she has less useful… More
Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers
– "Newt, Take Note: Populism Poses Its Own Dangers," Wall Street Journal, 1 November 1994, A20.Democracy and Populism
– "Democracy and Populism," A New Moment in the Americas, Robert S. Leiken, ed., New Brunswick, N. J.: Transaction Publishers, 1995. pp. 27-30.Self-Interest Rightly Understood
– "Self-Interest Rightly Understood," Political Theory, vol. 23 (1995), No. 1, pp. 48-66.The National Prospect
– "The National Prospect," a symposium, Commentary Magazine, November 1995, 85-86.Excerpt: Lack of virtue is dimming our national prospect. This is a simpler statement than the one posed for the symposium, which lists possible causes of moral decline rather than calling… More
Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy
– "Enlightenment Supporter Sees a Dark Future for Democracy," review of On the Eve of the Millennium: The Future of Democracy through an Age of Unreason, by Conor Cruise O'Brien, Washington Times, 10 December 1995, B8.Bring Back Respectability
– "Bring Back Respectability," The American Enterprise, 1996.Excerpt: Picking up trash, removing graffiti, asking the beggars to move on-at first I had trouble deciding which of these activities (any one of which would be easy to carry out) would be… More
Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy
– Foreword to Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy, by Pierre Manent, English translation, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1996.Tocqueville and Conservatism
– "Tocqueville and Conservatism," panel discussion, C-SPAN, 12 September 1997.Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville
– “Majority Tyranny in Aristotle and Tocqueville,” Friends and Citizens: Essays in Honor of Wilson Carey McWilliams, Peter Dennis Bathory and Nancy L. Schwartz, eds., Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000, pp. 289-297.Democracy in America
– "Democracy in America," Book Notes interview with Brian Lamb, C-SPAN, 17 October 2000.Professor Harvey Mansfield discusses his recently published translation of Democracy in America.
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
– a new translation with introduction (with Delba Winthrop) University Of Chicago Press (November 1, 2000)Governing a Divided America
– "Governing a Divided America: Cling to Principle," The American Enterprise, 2001.Excerpt: Politics in a democracy ordinarily produces more frustration than satisfaction. There is always a further victory to secure. The other side never goes away. The losers must grind… More
Democratic Greatness in the American Founding
– "Democratic Greatness in the American Founding," lecture, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1 October 2004.Democracy and Greatness
– "Democracy and Greatness: The Education Americans Need," Weekly Standard, 11 December 2006.Excerpt: We sometimes hear of the place of the great books in a democratic education (not, unfortunately, at Harvard). When it is spoken of approvingly, that place is at the center or in… More
Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008
– "Man of Courage: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 1918-2008," Weekly Standard, 25 August 2008.Excerpt: Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a hero with the hero’s virtue of courage. He displayed courage, he reflected on it. The display was for all to see, the reflection was deep,… More
Consequential Ideas
– "Consequential Ideas: Exploring the Subtle Dangers of 'Soft Despotism' in Democracies," review of Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville and the Modern Prospect, by Paul A. Rahe, Weekly Standard, 22 June 2009.Excerpt: Paul Rahe is a distinguished and prolific historian in the field of intellectual history who ventures with deliberate intent into political philosophy, judging what he sees. His… More
Tocqueville: A Very Short Introduction
– Oxford University Press, 2010.Excerpt: In view of Tocqueville’s criticisms of philosophy, it may seem paradoxical and presumptuous to call him a philosopher. But he calls himself a “new kind of liberal,” and he… More
Too Much Justice?
– "Too Much Justice?," interview in The Utopian, 30 March 2010.Excerpt: Does justice consist in just institutions? Nowadays, we tend to think of it that way. For us, justice consists, for example, in the separation of powers or an independent… More
Washington Square
– "Washington Square," review of Washington Square, by Henry James, Claremont Review of Books, 18 October 2010.Excerpt: Henry James’s short novel Washington Square is about Dr. Austin Sloper, a resident of that Square in New York City, who cannot persuade his daughter Catherine not to marry… More
Providence and Democracy
– "Providence and Democracy," Claremont Review of Books, Winter/Spring 2010/2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville was a liberal, but, as he once wrote, a “new kind of liberal.” For us, no feature of his new liberalism is more remarkable than the alliance… More
The Degradation of Modern Democracy
– "The Degradation of Modern Democracy," review of The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life, by Kenneth Minogue, Claremont Review of Books, 3 January 2011.Excerpt: Nowadays it is conservatives rather than liberals who stand up for liberty. Liberals have given themselves over to the advance of democracy, knowing not where it leads, and caring… More
To the Heart of American Exceptionalism
– "To the Heart of American Exceptionalism," Wall Street Journal, 5 February 2011.Excerpt: Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America,… More
On the Road with Alexis
– "On the Road with Alexis," Hoover Digest, 13 July 2011.Excerpt: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is a book that every American who reads should read. There’s no better book on democracy and none better on America, first home of… More
Democracy without Politics
– "Democracy without Politics," review of Democracy without Politics, by Steven Bilakovics, Defining Ideas, 14 March 2012.Excerpt: Steven Bilakovics has written a promising first book that will give concern to all who reflect on democracy today. It begins from the simple observation that although everybody… More
Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 1: Party Government
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Harvey Mansfield 80th Birthday Conference Panel 3: Executive Power
– Harvey Mansfield on his 80th Birthday: A Review of His Works. This event is sponsored by the Program on Constitutional Government in the Department of Government, and in affiliation with the Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University. 30 March 2012.Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence
– "Philosopher of Politics: A Tribute to Harvey C. Mansfield and His Enduring Influence," panel discussion, Hudson Institute, 28 September 2012.Over the course of an extraordinary career spanning six decades, and as the author of fourteen books and translations, Professor Harvey C. Mansfield of Harvard University has made a lasting… More
The Crisis of American Self-Government
– "The Crisis of American Self-Government," interview with Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, 30 November 2012.Excerpt: Equality untempered by liberty invites disaster, he says. “There is a difference between making a form of government more like itself,” Mr. Mansfield says, “and… More
What Is the Future of Conservatism?
– "What Is the Future of Conservatism?," Commentary Magazine, January 2013.Excerpt: It’s possible to be too concerned with the future–or to be judged too concerned–as conservatives discovered in the election of 2012. In winning, liberals paid almost no… More
Machiavelli’s Virtue
– Robert D. Kaplan, “Machiavelli’s Virtue,” Stratfor Global Intelligence, March 20, 2013.Excerpt: Self-interest informs compromise with other human beings, and thus a state governed by self-interest is likely to compromise with other states: whereas a person or state governed… More
Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville
– "Seeing America in the Spirit of Tocqueville: A Conversation on Democracy in America with Harvey Mansfield," Interview by Chris Barker and Tao Wang, Anamnesis Journal, Fall, 2014.In the online journal Anamnesis, Chris Barker and Tao Wang interview Harvey Mansfield about Alexis de Tocqueville: Excerpt: HM: Democracy in America especially is a book on political… More
Dressing Up
– "Dressing Up," Weekly Standard, June 19, 2015.Commencement remarks delivered at the John Adams Academy, a charter high school in Roseville, California, on June 5, 2015. Excerpt: A graduation ceremony is a moment of pride in which we do… More