In this volume, Bradley C. S. Watson brings together the leading scholars who have sparked one of the most important intellectual and political movements of our times: the criticism of the progressive intellectual synthesis that has dominated American thought and politics over much of the last century, and has provided the framework in which the administrative state has expanded and flourished. The contributors address the most important questions raised by this movement: what is the meaning of progressivism? What is the nature of the Founders' Constitution and the progressive challenges to it? What is the significance of recent scholarship and public opinion that have arisen in opposition to the progressive vision? What are the implications of American progressivism for twenty-first century politics and policy? Progressive Challenges to the American Constitution addresses the growing doubt about the scope and sustainability of expanded government power. ‘If you are a professor of American politics, this is a book you should assign your students. It treats both philosophic ideas and practical politics and clearly shows the connection between them. The volume includes an excellent slate of articles by leading scholars on progressivism, including John Marini and Ronald J. Pestritto. It is worth its weight in gold.' Colleen Sheehan, Villanova University, Pennsylvania ‘This fine collection of insightful and accessible essays will help academics and educated general readers alike understand the political philosophy of American Progressivism and how it breaks from the Founders' natural rights republicanism.' Vincent Phillip Munoz, University of Notre Dame, Indiana ‘This book is an exceptionally thoughtful and engaging collection of essays, indeed the best I have seen on this subject. Students across a wide range of subjects, in political science, law, and history alike will profit from engaging the book's diverse disciplinary appeal.' Michael Uhlmann, Claremont Graduate University, California ‘No one familiar with the scope of the federal government and the operation of local governments will fail to stand aghast at the abyss that separates the workings of the American polity today from what the Founding Fathers intended. There is no better way to discover how this radical transformation was effected than to read the many fine contributions to this path-breaking book.' Paul A. Rahe, Hillsdale College, Michigan 'A thoughtful, informative, and provocative volume that provides a critical understanding of the origins, evolution, and consequences of the progressive view of our founding document. Summing Up: Highly recommended.' P. J. Galie, Choice This book details the origins of American progressivism and its enduring effects on American politics and constitutionalism in the twenty-first century. Bradley C. S. Watson is Professor of Politics at Saint Vincent College, Pennsylvania, where he holds the Philip M. McKenna Chair in American and Western Political Thought. Watson has contributed to various journals and authored many books, including Living Constitution, Dying Faith (2009), Civic Education and Culture (2005), The Idea of the American University (2011), and The West at War (2006).