Books
The Amateur Democrat in American Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The Amateur Democrat in American Politics," Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 16, Is. 1 (1962), pp. 73-86.Political Organizations
– James Q. Wilson, Political Organizations (Basic Books, 1974, 1977; Princeton University Press paperback edition, 1995).The core of Political Organizations “is a ‘theory of incentives’ that Wilson and a friend of his from graduate school, Peter Clark, co-developed under [Edward]… More
The Rise of the Bureaucratic State
– James Q. Wilson, "The Rise of the Bureaucratic State," The Public Interest, Number 41, Fall 1975.Can the Government Regulate Itself?
– James Q. Wilson and Patricia Rachal, "Can the Government Regulate Itself?" The Public Interest, Number 46, Winter 1977.Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?
– James Q. Wilson, "Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?" The Public Interest, Number 86, Winter 1978.American Politics, Then and Now
– James Q. Wilson, "American Politics, Then and Now," Commentary, February 1979.Reagan and the Republican Revival
– James Q. Wilson, "Reagan and the Republican Revival," Commentary, October 1980.The Politics of Regulation
– James Q. Wilson, editor, The Politics of Regulation (Basic Books, 1980, 1982).In the late 1970s, Wilson sent some of his students out to explore the politics of regulation — “how goals were determined, conflict resolved or managed, standards set, and policy… More
Political Parties and the Separation of Powers
– James Q. Wilson, "Political Parties and the Separation of Powers," in Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, editors, Separation of Powers: Does It Still Work? (AEI Press, 1986), pp. 18-37.Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost," Commentary, August 1986.Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It
– James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It (Basic Books, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006).“Many of us consider Bureaucracy to be Wilson’s most important book. It is without doubt the greatest book on bureaucracy written by an American, and the greatest book on… More
Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy
– James Q. Wilson, "Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy," PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 23, No. 4, (December 1990), pp. 570-572.The Government Gap
– James Q. Wilson, "The Government Gap," The New Republic, June 3, 1991.A review essay of E.J. Dionne’s Why Americans Hate Politics and Alan Ehrenhalt’s The United States of Ambition.
The Family-Values Debate
– James Q. Wilson, "The Family-Values Debate," Commentary, April 1993.On Abortion
– James Q. Wilson, "On Abortion," Commentary, January 1994.New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics
– James Q. Wilson, "New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics," in Marc K. Landy and Martin A. Levin, editors, The New Politics of Public Policy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995), pp. 249-267.Idealizing Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Idealizing Politics," Critical Review, Vol. 12, No. 4 (1998), pp. 563-568.Soft Money and Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Soft Money and Politics," Slate, September 29, 2000.A Campaign About Issues
– James Q. Wilson, "A Campaign About Issues," Slate, October 6, 2000.Can We Believe the Polls?
– James Q. Wilson, "Can We Believe the Polls?" Slate, October 20, 2000.Why They Don’t Campaign About the Environment
– James Q. Wilson, "Why They Don't Campaign About the Environment," Slate, October 27, 2000.Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?
– James Q. Wilson, "Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?" Slate, November 3, 2000.What Do We Make of the Election?
– James Q. Wilson, "What Do We Make of the Election?" Slate, November 10, 2000.Reflections on the Political Context
– James Q. Wilson, "Reflections on the Political Context," in Henry J. Aaron, James M. Lindsay, and Pietro S. Nivola, editors, Agenda for the Nation (Brookings Institution, 2003), pp. 527-550.Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?
– James Q. Wilson, "Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?" Commentary, October 2003.Why America Works
– James Q. Wilson, "Why America Works," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 4, No. 4, Fall 2004.Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn’t “Values”
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn't 'Values'," Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2004.Divided We Stand
– James Q. Wilson, "Divided We Stand," Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2006.How Divided Are We?
– James Q. Wilson, "How Divided Are We?" Commentary, February 2006.American Exceptionalism
– James Q. Wilson, "American Exceptionalism," American Spectator, September 2006. This essay also appeared in James Piereson, editor, The Pursuit of Liberty: Can the Ideals that Made America Great Provide a Model for the World? (Encounter, 2008).Bowling with Others
– James Q. Wilson, "Bowling with Others," Commentary, October 2007.Excerpt: In his celebrated book, Bowling Alone (2000), the political scientist Robert D. Putnam argued that America, and perhaps the Western world as a whole, has become increasingly… 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).Looking Back
– Peter H. Schuck and James Q. Wilson, "Looking Back," in Peter H. Schuck, and James Q. Wilson, editors, Understanding America: The Anatomy of American Exceptionalism (Public Affairs, 2008).Religion and Polarization
– James Q. Wilson, "Religion and Polarization," in Robert Faulkner and Susan Shell, editors, America at Risk: Threats to Liberal Self-Government in an Age of Uncertainty (University of Michigan, 2009).The DNA of Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The DNA of Politics," City Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1, Winter 2009.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… More
Optimistic or Pessimistic About America
– James Q. Wilson, "Optimistic or Pessimistic About America," Commentary, November 2011.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… More
American Government: Institutions and Policies
– James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio, Jr., and Meena Bose, American Government: Institutions and Policies, various publishers, thirteen editions.Papers from Thinking about Politics: A Conference Dedicated to Explaining and Perpetuating the Political Insights of James Q. Wilson
– 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.Papers delivered at the conference: Martha Bayles, Boston College, The Crooked Timber of Womanhood John J. DiIulio, Jr., University of Pennsylvania, Moral Sense and Religious Sensibility:… More
Essays
The Amateur Democrat in American Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The Amateur Democrat in American Politics," Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 16, Is. 1 (1962), pp. 73-86.Political Organizations
– James Q. Wilson, Political Organizations (Basic Books, 1974, 1977; Princeton University Press paperback edition, 1995).The core of Political Organizations “is a ‘theory of incentives’ that Wilson and a friend of his from graduate school, Peter Clark, co-developed under [Edward]… More
The Rise of the Bureaucratic State
– James Q. Wilson, "The Rise of the Bureaucratic State," The Public Interest, Number 41, Fall 1975.Can the Government Regulate Itself?
– James Q. Wilson and Patricia Rachal, "Can the Government Regulate Itself?" The Public Interest, Number 46, Winter 1977.Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?
– James Q. Wilson, "Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?" The Public Interest, Number 86, Winter 1978.American Politics, Then and Now
– James Q. Wilson, "American Politics, Then and Now," Commentary, February 1979.Reagan and the Republican Revival
– James Q. Wilson, "Reagan and the Republican Revival," Commentary, October 1980.The Politics of Regulation
– James Q. Wilson, editor, The Politics of Regulation (Basic Books, 1980, 1982).In the late 1970s, Wilson sent some of his students out to explore the politics of regulation — “how goals were determined, conflict resolved or managed, standards set, and policy… More
Political Parties and the Separation of Powers
– James Q. Wilson, "Political Parties and the Separation of Powers," in Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, editors, Separation of Powers: Does It Still Work? (AEI Press, 1986), pp. 18-37.Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost," Commentary, August 1986.Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It
– James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It (Basic Books, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006).“Many of us consider Bureaucracy to be Wilson’s most important book. It is without doubt the greatest book on bureaucracy written by an American, and the greatest book on… More
Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy
– James Q. Wilson, "Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy," PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 23, No. 4, (December 1990), pp. 570-572.The Government Gap
– James Q. Wilson, "The Government Gap," The New Republic, June 3, 1991.A review essay of E.J. Dionne’s Why Americans Hate Politics and Alan Ehrenhalt’s The United States of Ambition.
The Family-Values Debate
– James Q. Wilson, "The Family-Values Debate," Commentary, April 1993.On Abortion
– James Q. Wilson, "On Abortion," Commentary, January 1994.New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics
– James Q. Wilson, "New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics," in Marc K. Landy and Martin A. Levin, editors, The New Politics of Public Policy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995), pp. 249-267.Idealizing Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Idealizing Politics," Critical Review, Vol. 12, No. 4 (1998), pp. 563-568.Soft Money and Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Soft Money and Politics," Slate, September 29, 2000.A Campaign About Issues
– James Q. Wilson, "A Campaign About Issues," Slate, October 6, 2000.Can We Believe the Polls?
– James Q. Wilson, "Can We Believe the Polls?" Slate, October 20, 2000.Why They Don’t Campaign About the Environment
– James Q. Wilson, "Why They Don't Campaign About the Environment," Slate, October 27, 2000.Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?
– James Q. Wilson, "Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?" Slate, November 3, 2000.What Do We Make of the Election?
– James Q. Wilson, "What Do We Make of the Election?" Slate, November 10, 2000.Reflections on the Political Context
– James Q. Wilson, "Reflections on the Political Context," in Henry J. Aaron, James M. Lindsay, and Pietro S. Nivola, editors, Agenda for the Nation (Brookings Institution, 2003), pp. 527-550.Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?
– James Q. Wilson, "Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?" Commentary, October 2003.Why America Works
– James Q. Wilson, "Why America Works," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 4, No. 4, Fall 2004.Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn’t “Values”
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn't 'Values'," Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2004.Divided We Stand
– James Q. Wilson, "Divided We Stand," Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2006.How Divided Are We?
– James Q. Wilson, "How Divided Are We?" Commentary, February 2006.American Exceptionalism
– James Q. Wilson, "American Exceptionalism," American Spectator, September 2006. This essay also appeared in James Piereson, editor, The Pursuit of Liberty: Can the Ideals that Made America Great Provide a Model for the World? (Encounter, 2008).Bowling with Others
– James Q. Wilson, "Bowling with Others," Commentary, October 2007.Excerpt: In his celebrated book, Bowling Alone (2000), the political scientist Robert D. Putnam argued that America, and perhaps the Western world as a whole, has become increasingly… 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).Looking Back
– Peter H. Schuck and James Q. Wilson, "Looking Back," in Peter H. Schuck, and James Q. Wilson, editors, Understanding America: The Anatomy of American Exceptionalism (Public Affairs, 2008).Religion and Polarization
– James Q. Wilson, "Religion and Polarization," in Robert Faulkner and Susan Shell, editors, America at Risk: Threats to Liberal Self-Government in an Age of Uncertainty (University of Michigan, 2009).The DNA of Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The DNA of Politics," City Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1, Winter 2009.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… More
Optimistic or Pessimistic About America
– James Q. Wilson, "Optimistic or Pessimistic About America," Commentary, November 2011.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… More
American Government: Institutions and Policies
– James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio, Jr., and Meena Bose, American Government: Institutions and Policies, various publishers, thirteen editions.Papers from Thinking about Politics: A Conference Dedicated to Explaining and Perpetuating the Political Insights of James Q. Wilson
– 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.Papers delivered at the conference: Martha Bayles, Boston College, The Crooked Timber of Womanhood John J. DiIulio, Jr., University of Pennsylvania, Moral Sense and Religious Sensibility:… More
Commentary
The Amateur Democrat in American Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The Amateur Democrat in American Politics," Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 16, Is. 1 (1962), pp. 73-86.Political Organizations
– James Q. Wilson, Political Organizations (Basic Books, 1974, 1977; Princeton University Press paperback edition, 1995).The core of Political Organizations “is a ‘theory of incentives’ that Wilson and a friend of his from graduate school, Peter Clark, co-developed under [Edward]… More
The Rise of the Bureaucratic State
– James Q. Wilson, "The Rise of the Bureaucratic State," The Public Interest, Number 41, Fall 1975.Can the Government Regulate Itself?
– James Q. Wilson and Patricia Rachal, "Can the Government Regulate Itself?" The Public Interest, Number 46, Winter 1977.Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?
– James Q. Wilson, "Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?" The Public Interest, Number 86, Winter 1978.American Politics, Then and Now
– James Q. Wilson, "American Politics, Then and Now," Commentary, February 1979.Reagan and the Republican Revival
– James Q. Wilson, "Reagan and the Republican Revival," Commentary, October 1980.The Politics of Regulation
– James Q. Wilson, editor, The Politics of Regulation (Basic Books, 1980, 1982).In the late 1970s, Wilson sent some of his students out to explore the politics of regulation — “how goals were determined, conflict resolved or managed, standards set, and policy… More
Political Parties and the Separation of Powers
– James Q. Wilson, "Political Parties and the Separation of Powers," in Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, editors, Separation of Powers: Does It Still Work? (AEI Press, 1986), pp. 18-37.Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost," Commentary, August 1986.Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It
– James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It (Basic Books, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006).“Many of us consider Bureaucracy to be Wilson’s most important book. It is without doubt the greatest book on bureaucracy written by an American, and the greatest book on… More
Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy
– James Q. Wilson, "Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy," PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 23, No. 4, (December 1990), pp. 570-572.The Government Gap
– James Q. Wilson, "The Government Gap," The New Republic, June 3, 1991.A review essay of E.J. Dionne’s Why Americans Hate Politics and Alan Ehrenhalt’s The United States of Ambition.
The Family-Values Debate
– James Q. Wilson, "The Family-Values Debate," Commentary, April 1993.On Abortion
– James Q. Wilson, "On Abortion," Commentary, January 1994.New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics
– James Q. Wilson, "New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics," in Marc K. Landy and Martin A. Levin, editors, The New Politics of Public Policy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995), pp. 249-267.Idealizing Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Idealizing Politics," Critical Review, Vol. 12, No. 4 (1998), pp. 563-568.Soft Money and Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Soft Money and Politics," Slate, September 29, 2000.A Campaign About Issues
– James Q. Wilson, "A Campaign About Issues," Slate, October 6, 2000.Can We Believe the Polls?
– James Q. Wilson, "Can We Believe the Polls?" Slate, October 20, 2000.Why They Don’t Campaign About the Environment
– James Q. Wilson, "Why They Don't Campaign About the Environment," Slate, October 27, 2000.Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?
– James Q. Wilson, "Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?" Slate, November 3, 2000.What Do We Make of the Election?
– James Q. Wilson, "What Do We Make of the Election?" Slate, November 10, 2000.Reflections on the Political Context
– James Q. Wilson, "Reflections on the Political Context," in Henry J. Aaron, James M. Lindsay, and Pietro S. Nivola, editors, Agenda for the Nation (Brookings Institution, 2003), pp. 527-550.Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?
– James Q. Wilson, "Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?" Commentary, October 2003.Why America Works
– James Q. Wilson, "Why America Works," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 4, No. 4, Fall 2004.Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn’t “Values”
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn't 'Values'," Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2004.Divided We Stand
– James Q. Wilson, "Divided We Stand," Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2006.How Divided Are We?
– James Q. Wilson, "How Divided Are We?" Commentary, February 2006.American Exceptionalism
– James Q. Wilson, "American Exceptionalism," American Spectator, September 2006. This essay also appeared in James Piereson, editor, The Pursuit of Liberty: Can the Ideals that Made America Great Provide a Model for the World? (Encounter, 2008).Bowling with Others
– James Q. Wilson, "Bowling with Others," Commentary, October 2007.Excerpt: In his celebrated book, Bowling Alone (2000), the political scientist Robert D. Putnam argued that America, and perhaps the Western world as a whole, has become increasingly… 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).Looking Back
– Peter H. Schuck and James Q. Wilson, "Looking Back," in Peter H. Schuck, and James Q. Wilson, editors, Understanding America: The Anatomy of American Exceptionalism (Public Affairs, 2008).Religion and Polarization
– James Q. Wilson, "Religion and Polarization," in Robert Faulkner and Susan Shell, editors, America at Risk: Threats to Liberal Self-Government in an Age of Uncertainty (University of Michigan, 2009).The DNA of Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The DNA of Politics," City Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1, Winter 2009.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… More
Optimistic or Pessimistic About America
– James Q. Wilson, "Optimistic or Pessimistic About America," Commentary, November 2011.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… More
American Government: Institutions and Policies
– James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio, Jr., and Meena Bose, American Government: Institutions and Policies, various publishers, thirteen editions.Papers from Thinking about Politics: A Conference Dedicated to Explaining and Perpetuating the Political Insights of James Q. Wilson
– 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.Papers delivered at the conference: Martha Bayles, Boston College, The Crooked Timber of Womanhood John J. DiIulio, Jr., University of Pennsylvania, Moral Sense and Religious Sensibility:… More
Multimedia
The Amateur Democrat in American Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The Amateur Democrat in American Politics," Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 16, Is. 1 (1962), pp. 73-86.Political Organizations
– James Q. Wilson, Political Organizations (Basic Books, 1974, 1977; Princeton University Press paperback edition, 1995).The core of Political Organizations “is a ‘theory of incentives’ that Wilson and a friend of his from graduate school, Peter Clark, co-developed under [Edward]… More
The Rise of the Bureaucratic State
– James Q. Wilson, "The Rise of the Bureaucratic State," The Public Interest, Number 41, Fall 1975.Can the Government Regulate Itself?
– James Q. Wilson and Patricia Rachal, "Can the Government Regulate Itself?" The Public Interest, Number 46, Winter 1977.Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?
– James Q. Wilson, "Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?" The Public Interest, Number 86, Winter 1978.American Politics, Then and Now
– James Q. Wilson, "American Politics, Then and Now," Commentary, February 1979.Reagan and the Republican Revival
– James Q. Wilson, "Reagan and the Republican Revival," Commentary, October 1980.The Politics of Regulation
– James Q. Wilson, editor, The Politics of Regulation (Basic Books, 1980, 1982).In the late 1970s, Wilson sent some of his students out to explore the politics of regulation — “how goals were determined, conflict resolved or managed, standards set, and policy… More
Political Parties and the Separation of Powers
– James Q. Wilson, "Political Parties and the Separation of Powers," in Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, editors, Separation of Powers: Does It Still Work? (AEI Press, 1986), pp. 18-37.Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost," Commentary, August 1986.Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It
– James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It (Basic Books, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006).“Many of us consider Bureaucracy to be Wilson’s most important book. It is without doubt the greatest book on bureaucracy written by an American, and the greatest book on… More
Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy
– James Q. Wilson, "Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy," PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 23, No. 4, (December 1990), pp. 570-572.The Government Gap
– James Q. Wilson, "The Government Gap," The New Republic, June 3, 1991.A review essay of E.J. Dionne’s Why Americans Hate Politics and Alan Ehrenhalt’s The United States of Ambition.
The Family-Values Debate
– James Q. Wilson, "The Family-Values Debate," Commentary, April 1993.On Abortion
– James Q. Wilson, "On Abortion," Commentary, January 1994.New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics
– James Q. Wilson, "New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics," in Marc K. Landy and Martin A. Levin, editors, The New Politics of Public Policy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995), pp. 249-267.Idealizing Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Idealizing Politics," Critical Review, Vol. 12, No. 4 (1998), pp. 563-568.Soft Money and Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Soft Money and Politics," Slate, September 29, 2000.A Campaign About Issues
– James Q. Wilson, "A Campaign About Issues," Slate, October 6, 2000.Can We Believe the Polls?
– James Q. Wilson, "Can We Believe the Polls?" Slate, October 20, 2000.Why They Don’t Campaign About the Environment
– James Q. Wilson, "Why They Don't Campaign About the Environment," Slate, October 27, 2000.Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?
– James Q. Wilson, "Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?" Slate, November 3, 2000.What Do We Make of the Election?
– James Q. Wilson, "What Do We Make of the Election?" Slate, November 10, 2000.Reflections on the Political Context
– James Q. Wilson, "Reflections on the Political Context," in Henry J. Aaron, James M. Lindsay, and Pietro S. Nivola, editors, Agenda for the Nation (Brookings Institution, 2003), pp. 527-550.Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?
– James Q. Wilson, "Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?" Commentary, October 2003.Why America Works
– James Q. Wilson, "Why America Works," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 4, No. 4, Fall 2004.Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn’t “Values”
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn't 'Values'," Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2004.Divided We Stand
– James Q. Wilson, "Divided We Stand," Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2006.How Divided Are We?
– James Q. Wilson, "How Divided Are We?" Commentary, February 2006.American Exceptionalism
– James Q. Wilson, "American Exceptionalism," American Spectator, September 2006. This essay also appeared in James Piereson, editor, The Pursuit of Liberty: Can the Ideals that Made America Great Provide a Model for the World? (Encounter, 2008).Bowling with Others
– James Q. Wilson, "Bowling with Others," Commentary, October 2007.Excerpt: In his celebrated book, Bowling Alone (2000), the political scientist Robert D. Putnam argued that America, and perhaps the Western world as a whole, has become increasingly… 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).Looking Back
– Peter H. Schuck and James Q. Wilson, "Looking Back," in Peter H. Schuck, and James Q. Wilson, editors, Understanding America: The Anatomy of American Exceptionalism (Public Affairs, 2008).Religion and Polarization
– James Q. Wilson, "Religion and Polarization," in Robert Faulkner and Susan Shell, editors, America at Risk: Threats to Liberal Self-Government in an Age of Uncertainty (University of Michigan, 2009).The DNA of Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The DNA of Politics," City Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1, Winter 2009.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… More
Optimistic or Pessimistic About America
– James Q. Wilson, "Optimistic or Pessimistic About America," Commentary, November 2011.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… More
American Government: Institutions and Policies
– James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio, Jr., and Meena Bose, American Government: Institutions and Policies, various publishers, thirteen editions.Papers from Thinking about Politics: A Conference Dedicated to Explaining and Perpetuating the Political Insights of James Q. Wilson
– 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.Papers delivered at the conference: Martha Bayles, Boston College, The Crooked Timber of Womanhood John J. DiIulio, Jr., University of Pennsylvania, Moral Sense and Religious Sensibility:… More
Teaching
The Amateur Democrat in American Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The Amateur Democrat in American Politics," Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 16, Is. 1 (1962), pp. 73-86.Political Organizations
– James Q. Wilson, Political Organizations (Basic Books, 1974, 1977; Princeton University Press paperback edition, 1995).The core of Political Organizations “is a ‘theory of incentives’ that Wilson and a friend of his from graduate school, Peter Clark, co-developed under [Edward]… More
The Rise of the Bureaucratic State
– James Q. Wilson, "The Rise of the Bureaucratic State," The Public Interest, Number 41, Fall 1975.Can the Government Regulate Itself?
– James Q. Wilson and Patricia Rachal, "Can the Government Regulate Itself?" The Public Interest, Number 46, Winter 1977.Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?
– James Q. Wilson, "Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?" The Public Interest, Number 86, Winter 1978.American Politics, Then and Now
– James Q. Wilson, "American Politics, Then and Now," Commentary, February 1979.Reagan and the Republican Revival
– James Q. Wilson, "Reagan and the Republican Revival," Commentary, October 1980.The Politics of Regulation
– James Q. Wilson, editor, The Politics of Regulation (Basic Books, 1980, 1982).In the late 1970s, Wilson sent some of his students out to explore the politics of regulation — “how goals were determined, conflict resolved or managed, standards set, and policy… More
Political Parties and the Separation of Powers
– James Q. Wilson, "Political Parties and the Separation of Powers," in Robert A. Goldwin and Art Kaufman, editors, Separation of Powers: Does It Still Work? (AEI Press, 1986), pp. 18-37.Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Reagan Won and Stockman Lost," Commentary, August 1986.Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It
– James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It (Basic Books, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006).“Many of us consider Bureaucracy to be Wilson’s most important book. It is without doubt the greatest book on bureaucracy written by an American, and the greatest book on… More
Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy
– James Q. Wilson, "Juridical Democracy versus American Democracy," PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 23, No. 4, (December 1990), pp. 570-572.The Government Gap
– James Q. Wilson, "The Government Gap," The New Republic, June 3, 1991.A review essay of E.J. Dionne’s Why Americans Hate Politics and Alan Ehrenhalt’s The United States of Ambition.
The Family-Values Debate
– James Q. Wilson, "The Family-Values Debate," Commentary, April 1993.On Abortion
– James Q. Wilson, "On Abortion," Commentary, January 1994.New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics
– James Q. Wilson, "New Politics, New Elites, Old Publics," in Marc K. Landy and Martin A. Levin, editors, The New Politics of Public Policy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995), pp. 249-267.Idealizing Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Idealizing Politics," Critical Review, Vol. 12, No. 4 (1998), pp. 563-568.Soft Money and Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "Soft Money and Politics," Slate, September 29, 2000.A Campaign About Issues
– James Q. Wilson, "A Campaign About Issues," Slate, October 6, 2000.Can We Believe the Polls?
– James Q. Wilson, "Can We Believe the Polls?" Slate, October 20, 2000.Why They Don’t Campaign About the Environment
– James Q. Wilson, "Why They Don't Campaign About the Environment," Slate, October 27, 2000.Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?
– James Q. Wilson, "Is the Electoral College Worth Saving?" Slate, November 3, 2000.What Do We Make of the Election?
– James Q. Wilson, "What Do We Make of the Election?" Slate, November 10, 2000.Reflections on the Political Context
– James Q. Wilson, "Reflections on the Political Context," in Henry J. Aaron, James M. Lindsay, and Pietro S. Nivola, editors, Agenda for the Nation (Brookings Institution, 2003), pp. 527-550.Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?
– James Q. Wilson, "Has the Supreme Court Gone Too Far?" Commentary, October 2003.Why America Works
– James Q. Wilson, "Why America Works," Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 4, No. 4, Fall 2004.Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn’t “Values”
– James Q. Wilson, "Why Did Kerry Lose? Answer: It Wasn't 'Values'," Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2004.Divided We Stand
– James Q. Wilson, "Divided We Stand," Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2006.How Divided Are We?
– James Q. Wilson, "How Divided Are We?" Commentary, February 2006.American Exceptionalism
– James Q. Wilson, "American Exceptionalism," American Spectator, September 2006. This essay also appeared in James Piereson, editor, The Pursuit of Liberty: Can the Ideals that Made America Great Provide a Model for the World? (Encounter, 2008).Bowling with Others
– James Q. Wilson, "Bowling with Others," Commentary, October 2007.Excerpt: In his celebrated book, Bowling Alone (2000), the political scientist Robert D. Putnam argued that America, and perhaps the Western world as a whole, has become increasingly… 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).Looking Back
– Peter H. Schuck and James Q. Wilson, "Looking Back," in Peter H. Schuck, and James Q. Wilson, editors, Understanding America: The Anatomy of American Exceptionalism (Public Affairs, 2008).Religion and Polarization
– James Q. Wilson, "Religion and Polarization," in Robert Faulkner and Susan Shell, editors, America at Risk: Threats to Liberal Self-Government in an Age of Uncertainty (University of Michigan, 2009).The DNA of Politics
– James Q. Wilson, "The DNA of Politics," City Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1, Winter 2009.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… More
Optimistic or Pessimistic About America
– James Q. Wilson, "Optimistic or Pessimistic About America," Commentary, November 2011.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… More
American Government: Institutions and Policies
– James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio, Jr., and Meena Bose, American Government: Institutions and Policies, various publishers, thirteen editions.Papers from Thinking about Politics: A Conference Dedicated to Explaining and Perpetuating the Political Insights of James Q. Wilson
– 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.Papers delivered at the conference: Martha Bayles, Boston College, The Crooked Timber of Womanhood John J. DiIulio, Jr., University of Pennsylvania, Moral Sense and Religious Sensibility:… More