America’spoliticalhistoryisafascinatingparadox.TheUnitedStateswasbornwiththeadmonitionthatgovernmentposedathreattoliberty.Thisapprehensionbecamethefoundationofthenation’scivicideologyandwasembeddedinitsconstitutionalstructure.YetthehistoryofpubliclifeintheUnitedStatesrecordstheemergenceofanenormouslypowerfulnationalstateduringthenineteenthcentury.By1920,theUnitedStateswasarguablythemostpowerfulcountryintheworld.InTheParadoxofPowerBallardC.Campbelltracesthisevolutionandoffersanexplanationforhowitoccurred.CampbellarguesthatthestateinAmericaisrootedinthecountry’scolonialexperienceandanalyzestheevidenceforthisbyreviewinggovernanceatalllevelsoftheAmericanpolity--local,state,andnational--between1754and1920.Campbellposesfivecriticalcausalreferences:war,geography,economicdevelopment,cultureandidentity(includingcitizenshipandnationalism),andpoliticalcapacity.Thislastfactorembraceslawandconstitutionalism,administration,andpoliticalparties.TheParadoxofPowermakesamajorcontributiontoourunderstandingofAmericanstatebuildingbyemphasizingthefundamentalroleoflocalandstategovernancetosuccessfullyintegrateurban,state,andnationalgovernmentstocreateacompositeandcomprehensiveportraitofhowgovernanceevolvedinAmerica.
state AMERICA ADMINISTRATION ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT LOCAL STATE POWER PARADOX administration economicdevelopment
