I.I.I.IIIIIIIIII.IIIIIIIIII¥.. . W I/llllllllllllllll This is to certify that the dissertation entitled LEADERSHIP AND PARTISANSHIP IN THE THOUGHT OF WOODROW WILSON AND THE AMERICAN FOUNDERS presented by Scot James Zentner has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Ph.D. degree in Political Science Major professor Date May 10, 1994 MS U is an Affirmative Action/Eq ual Opportunity Institution 0- 12771 LIBRARY Michigan State University PLACE ll RETURN BOXto romwothb Mom from your record. TO AVOID F INES return on or baton dd. duo. MSU loAnAtflnnativoActtoo/Emd Oppommttylmtlmtion Willa-9.1 .—"\u~- .". ._ --\>-q b.~_.~~.. ’9AA-.__ ~ vy~.'- LEADERSHIP AND PARTISANSHIP IN THE THOUGHT OF WOODROW WILSON AND THE AMERICAN FOUNDERS BY Scot James Zentner A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Political Science 1993 OF\\—- A..-“ 'n "w\— .. hug—a»§—A¢A. KAAHH.Avv v'vuxyfl . . . . ’- '~:“>Q ." O .U-A¢5.‘ ' O ‘ A . :V:p. r“ '-“0659.‘ ‘.“ h .. . . vii-.y n. 5.” ‘ ...‘.'.‘V“‘| 550‘ i -V '3. .. \. IH~ A ‘ ‘ I :‘.“~JSA“H. Vv s ”«x. i (D ABSTRACT LEADERSHIP AND PARTISANSHIP IN THE THOUGHT OF WOODROW WILSON AND THE AMERICAN FOUNDERS BY Scot James Zentner I identify. two broadly different views of political leadership and partisanship in the American political tradition: the view from the Founding and the view most prevalent since the turn of the century Progressive Era. My principal task is to judge these views within the context of the constitutional republican theory of American governance. This amounts to a discussion of the political theory of the American regime within the framework of the two different ideas of political leadership. This entails a discussion of the philosophic bases of liberalism and political leadership from the perspectives of the American Founding and American Progressivi sm . The‘dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part Of the dissertation centers upon The Federalist. The second part of the dissertation centers upon the thought of Woodrow Wilson. In the first three chapters I present an interpretation of Publius's view of liberalism and political leadership, the irelationship of the Constitution and political leadership, and the emergence of constitutional Partisanship. In the last three chapters I discuss Wilson's View Of liberalism and the administrative, state, political . . . A W‘- ~ "“7”"“fi V. .::a:.=..-ti ..d A 4 ‘ . n ‘ . vv-v- erapfi 'fi'r‘ fir v:¢¢' btAvV. 0--yp . o . . "'vvarh V‘f‘ ~ I ‘~¢.--..~ tu-. . ""‘t nhv~~ ‘— ‘ but. UUC$~ | l --..u.§..b . A“ Q ‘ "‘-~-~u~.v..3- ‘ Q u..-‘.“" Ara ‘ . ‘ . """"~cv..d$ ‘ (I) .. . ‘ IA. n! fire" A” ' . :Iocoh VUbegu.‘ * o u.‘ n " a. “It I" ...b . . n.. . ’ 'v-aA:'-. . A“ f“ ‘r‘ v u I .ru.vu V‘ be“. 'Fny‘. I I V qua 'N:._' * ‘flL‘ hr 4 gs‘»." \vv . . . ' V ‘ .'-.. ‘r‘, w h .5 ‘ A -g §‘\,Ei‘ \ W...” . ...t.-':r ls “h‘ ..\l . .VO.L \V‘A ‘v lemknship and Wilson's historicism, and modern parties and party theory which I understand in Wilson's terms. Current political leadership in America is problematic vdmn considered in the light of the requirements of constitutional republicanisnu This is so because (xmmtitutional republicanism requires the reconciliation of mflflic opinion with the forms of constitutionalism and the rule of law. Contemporary political leadership assumes a axmmption of human freedom which is contrary to the ordered luxerty which constitutionalism requires. This is true for txmh.Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals. A simple return to the thought of the Founding, however, is not sufficient or possible as a corrective to the current problem of political leadership. The rise of industrialism and the eclipse of an agrarian economy make such a return doubtful. Rather, I suggest that the current view of leadership would benefit from a reassessment of its Primary assumptions and a reorientation toward its goals along the lines of the earlier view. The dissertation aims to begin this project. For My Mother iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank Jerry Weinberger, Joseph Schlesinger and Richard Zinman for their assistance and support. I particularly thank Edward Erler for his influence and example. -v....-....v‘ l““’.m'fl\q 1 V v N‘ 9 fi‘m. I, In .‘I. h‘ -..-A- V.” w.‘. A ‘ ‘ . an! a..- d ‘17" \~ in :‘“u U. - v‘?A\, 4“. .- .4. C ‘Vfl 1"." \ .l '2‘ A:‘h. .‘~ AH.~.V‘|~L»J " .l: ‘ 7"“. pvJ~ .‘V.“ 1‘. l: r "5‘. miv ‘ . I‘m“ TN . . .‘1 _ «Q 0 . . . . . \“ n ‘ H, I. ‘ v‘l.‘ \‘ .:.:\ I~~~r . ot...\~ ' lhT . H .d“‘~ ,~ ‘ . \ \ ., . :4 a? 1,77%“ «\QV ‘Ul V. \n.‘ A In \ .‘.' ~ In,” S u“. 5 A.“ v ‘ it"l‘my. “V\"“ 7?“: ,~ “\ u |"!’ e V“% I M." n In: it“): ~ \w‘ . I o . . u ' ‘s \_ ?‘ § [. \fl' 1‘ \A‘ A ~ ‘\‘U TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: LIBERTY AND REPUBLICANISM .................... 14 HONOR AND SPIRITEDNESS .................................. 27 REVOLUTION AND REPUBLICANISM ............................ 34 REVOLUTION AND NATURAL RIGHT ............................ 44 NOTES ....................... . ............................ 48 CHAPTER TWO: REPUBLICANISM AND CONSTITUTIONALISM .......... 50 THE PRACTICAL ARGUMENT OF PUBLIUS ....................... 53 JUSTICE AND PRIVATE PROPERTY..................... ....... 59 THE RHETORICAL DIMENSION OF THE FEDERALIST .............. 67 CONSTITUTIONAL MAJORITIES ............................... 80 CONSTITUTIONAL REVERENCE AND PARTISANSHIP ............... 87 NOTES .............. ‘ ..................................... 93 CHAPTER THREE: CONSTITUTIONAL PARTISANSHIP ................ 95 ANTI-PARTY BIAS AND THE RISE OF PARTIES ......... . ........ 98 THE: HELVIDIUS-PACIFICUS DEBATE ......................... 105 MADISON'S PARTY PRESS ESSAYS ........................... 114 THE KENTUCKY AND VIRGINIA RESOLUTIONS .................. 123 EXCEPTIONAL AND NORMAL PARTIES ......................... 134 Cc>NcLUS ION ............................................. 138 NOTES .................................................. 143 PART II: INTRODUCTION .................................... 146 vi to": VVA ‘ n..- H'I‘. i... AA l‘ ~.,1 I‘- .,‘ CHAPTER FOUR: INDIVIDUALITY AND THE STATE ................ 148 WILSON CONTRASTED WITH THE FOUNDERS .................... 149 CONSTITUTIONALISM AND HISTORY .......................... 151 HISTORY AND THE DEMOCRATIC IDEA ........................ 154 WILSON AND HEGEL ....................................... 156 INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND INDIVIDUALITY ............... 160 CONSTITUTIONALISM AND ADMINISTRATION ................... 168 UNIVERSALISM AND ADMINISTRATION ........................ 176 CONCLUS I ON ............................................. 1 8 3 NOTES .................................................. 185 CHAPTER FIVE: LEADERSHIP AND THE STATE ................... 187 PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE. . .188 "RULE OF THE WHOLE" AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP ........... 193 PARTY LEADERSHIP AND PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP ........... 201 HEGEL AND WILSON'S PRESIDENT ........................... 210 LEADERSHIP AND AMERICAN HISTORY ........................ 215 NORMAL POLITICS AND EXCEPTIONAL POLITICS ............... 221 CONCLUSION ............................................. 226 NOTES .................................................. 228 CHAPTER SIx: LEADERSHIP AND MODERN PARTIES ............... 23o RESPONSIBLE PARTIES AND PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP ........ 233 THE RHETORICAL AND PLEBISCITARY PRESIDENCY ............. 24o PARTY GOVERNMENT AND THE NEW DEAL ...................... 244 THE PERSONAL PRESIDENT ................................. 251 PARTY GOVERNMENT AND DIVIDED GOVERNMENT ................ 258 CONCLUSION ............................................. 270 NOTES ........................................... i ....... 273 vii CON CLUS I ON ............................................... 2 7 6 NOTE ................................................... 2 8 5 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................. 286 viii