Ezra's Bookshelf

American Covenant

by Yuval Levin · 304 pages · ~5.5 hrs

Politics & GovernmentHistory

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Yuval Levin examines the U.S. Constitution as a framework designed for productive disagreement rather than consensus. The founders, he argues, understood that Americans would disagree about fundamental matters and designed institutions to channel conflict constructively. The Constitution works not by resolving disagreements but by providing arenas where they can be worked through without destroying the nation. Levin, who has written extensively on constitutional history and political philosophy, identifies where the constitutional framework has gone awry: an overpowerful presidency, a weakened Congress, and courts drawn into political battles they cannot resolve. He offers practical reforms aimed at restoring constitutional balance, from changes in congressional procedure to reconsideration of executive power. The book combines reverence for the constitutional tradition with clear-eyed assessment of its current failures. Levin writes for citizens who sense that something is broken but aren't sure what or how to fix it. This is engaged civic education from a conservative perspective that takes liberal concerns seriously.

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