Books
American Government: Institutions and Policies
– James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio, Jr., and Meena Bose, American Government: Institutions and Policies, various publishers, thirteen editions.Crime and Public Policy
– James Q. Wilson and Joan Petersilia, editors, Crime and Public Policy (Oxford University Press, 2011).American Politics Then and Now and Other Essays
– James Q. Wilson, American Politics Then and Now and Other Essays (AEI Press, 2010).This book “collects 15 essays, most of which appeared initially in The Public Interest, Commentary, and City Journal. They are written for a general audience, not in the sense of being dumbed-down, but of addressing questions of concern to the educated… More
Understanding America: The Anatomy of American Exceptionalism
– Peter H. Schuck and James Q. Wilson, editors, Understanding America: The Anatomy of American Exceptionalism (Public Affairs, 2008).The Marriage Problem: How Culture Has Weakened Families
– James Q. Wilson, The Marriage Problem: How Culture Has Weakened Families (Harper Collins, 2002, 2003).In The Marriage Problem, Wilson “attributes the troubling decline of marriage we see around us not to ‘the ’60s’–the all-purpose nemesis of the right–but to the very individualism Americans of all political persuasions so… More
Crime: Public Policies for Crime Control
– James Q. Wilson and Joan Petersilia, Crime: Public Policies for Crime Control (ICS Press, 2002).Moral Intuitions
– James Q. Wilson, Moral Intuitions (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 2000).The Ethics of Human Cloning
– Leon R. Kass and James Q. Wilson, The Ethics of Human Cloning (AEI Press, 1998).The Moral Sense
– James Q. Wilson, The Moral Sense (The Free Press, 1993, 1995; paperback edition 1997, 1998).“The Moral Sense towers tall and apart on the Wilson skyline. It seems not to be about politics or policy at all. Its subject is benevolence: how self-interested human beings come to consider and promote the welfare of others, even when doing so is costly… More
Moral Judgment: Does the Abuse Excuse Threaten Our Legal System?
– James Q. Wilson, Moral Judgment: Does the Abuse Excuse Threaten Our Legal System? (Basic Books, 1997, 1998).Essays
Tocqueville and America
– James Q. Wilson, "Tocqueville and America," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 2012, pp. 14-16.Excerpt of an admiring but critical essay by James Q. Wilson on Tocqueville: Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville is no doubt the greatest book ever written by a foreigner about this country. It may be one of the greatest books written about any… More
Measuring the Slant
– James Q. Wilson, "Measuring the Slant," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 12, No. 1, Winter 2011-2012, pp. 80-81.Muffingate and the Media’s Big Fat Mistake
– James Q. Wilson, "Muffingate and the Media's Big Fat Mistake," Wall Street Journal, December 8, 2011.Optimistic or Pessimistic About America
– James Q. Wilson, "Optimistic or Pessimistic About America," Commentary, November 2011.Burying the Hatchet
– James Q. Wilson "Burying the Hatchet," Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2011.Crime and the Great Recession
– James Q. Wilson, "Crime and the Great Recession," City Journal, Vol. 21, No. 3, Summer 2011.Not-So-Dismal Science
– James Q. Wilson, "Not-So-Dismal Science," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 11, No. 3, Summer 2011, pp. 65-66.Hard Times, Fewer Crimes
– James Q. Wilson, "Hard Times, Fewer Crimes," Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2011.In the Pew Instead of Prison
– James Q. Wilson, "In the Pew Instead of Prison," Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2011.Uneven Progress
– James Q. Wilson, "Uneven Progress," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 11, Nos. 1 and 2, Winter 2010-Spring 2011, pp. 88-89.Multimedia
Conversations with Bill Kristol: James Ceaser
– James Ceaser, Conversations with Bill Kristol, March 2, 2015.In this footage from Conversations with Bill Kristol, University of Virginia political scientist James Ceaser reflects on the lives and ideas of seminal teachers of political philosophy and American government: Harvey Mansfield, James Q. Wilson, Walter Berns,… More
Christopher DeMuth on Ideas and Public Policy
– Christopher DeMuth, Conversations with Bill Kristol, October 27, 2014.In this segment of a conversation from Conversations with Bill Kristol, Christopher DeMuth, former president of the American Enterprise Institute, distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute, and a former student of James Q. Wilson discusses Wilson’s… More
Charles Murray on Economic and Moral Life in America
– Charles Murray, Conversations with Bill Kristol, July 14, 2014. (Discussion of James Q. Wilson's impact on crime policy).In this section of a wide-ranging conversation on Conversations with Bill Kristol, Charles Murray of the American Enterprise Institute discusses the immense impact of James Q. Wilson on crime policy in America.
Character and the Moral Sense
– "Character and the Moral Sense" Conference in Honor of James Q. Wilson, Pepperdine University, February 28 - March 1, 2014.On February 28 – March 1, 2014, Pepperdine University honored the legacy of James Q. Wilson with a two day conference on his thought and work. Particular attention was paid to Wilson’s book The Moral Sense and his emphasis on the rediscovery of… More
Thinking About Politics
– Thinking About Politics: A Conference Dedicated to Explaining and Perpetuating the Political Insights of James Q. Wilson took place at Harvard University and Boston College on April 4-5, 2013.Thursday, April 4, 2013 Harvard University, CGIS-South, Belfer Case Study Room, S020 1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA Welcome and Introduction R. Shep Melnick, Boston College Panel 1: Parties and Organized Interests Marc K. Landy, Boston College,… More
The Intellectual Life and Legacy of James Q. Wilson
– In this event, held at the RAND Corporation on January 17, 2013, several of James Q. Wilson's former students--Pietro Nivola of the Brookings Institution, R. Shep Melnick of Boston College, Angela Hawken of Pepperdine University, and Susan Marquis of the Pardee RAND Graduate School--share their thoughts on his legacy and his enduring impact on public policy.The Legacy of James Q. Wilson
– The Hudson Institute's 2012 Bradley Symposium, Knowledge and Governance in American Democracy: The Legacy of James Q. Wilson, was held in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2012. It was moderated by William Kristol of The Weekly Standard and Yuval Levin of National Affairs, and featured Karlyn Bowman of the American Enterprise Institute, Christopher DeMuth of the Hudson Institute, and R. Shep Melnick of Boston College.The Man with a Take Some-Prisoners Approach
– The Man with a Take Some-Prisoners Approach: Remembering the Legacy of James Q. Wilson was a panel discussion held in Los Angeles on June 4, 2012. It featured Mark A.R. Kleiman of UCLA, Angela Hawken of Pepperdine University, Mark Peterson of UCLA, and Charlie Beck of the Los Angeles Police Department.Remembrance of James Q. Wilson
– Heather Mac Donald, "Remembrance of James Q. Wilson," Twelfth Annual Manhattan Institute Alexander Hamilton Awards Dinner, May 21, 2012.IMDb/James Q. Wilson (1931-2012)
James Q. Wilson’s IMDb page
Teaching
Dissertations Supervised by James Q. Wilson
Student/Date Ph.D. Awarded Harvey Sapolsky/August 1966 Basil Mott/March 1967 Emily Stoper/March 1969 Paul Weaver/March 1968 George Garson/June 1969 David Wax/June 1969 Martin Shefter/March 1970 Martin Levin/March 1970 Thomas Wolanin/March 1972 Stanley… More