Preface: the triumph of ambition and the collapse of citizenship? -- Introduction : the paradox of power in America -- The ambition of moral citizens : belonging and the limits of the moral community -- The ambition of interests : American constitutionalism -- The ambition of popular control : Jacksonian democracy and American populism -- The ambition to recover democratic excellence : Tocqueville and Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- To flatter and obey : the triumph of ambition -- Keeping ambition accountable : a place for political parties -- Conclusion : the collapse of modern citizenship
Summary
Most Americans admire the determination and drive of artists, athletes, and CEOs, but they seem to despise similar ambition in their elected officials. The structure of political representation and the separation of powers detailed in the United States Constitution were intended to restrain self-interested ambition. Because not all citizens have a desire to rule, republican democracies must choose leaders from pools of ambitious candidates while trying to prevent those same people from exploiting public power to dominate the less ambitious. Ambition in America: Political Power and the Collapse
