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by Susan Zuccotti (Author)
This provocative book presents a theory of the First Amendment's development. During the twentieth century, Americans gained trust in its commitments, turned the First Amendment into an instrument for social progress, and exercised their rhetorical freedom to create a common language of rights. Robert L. Tsai explains that the guarantees of the First Amendment have become part of a governing culture and nationwide priority. Examining the rhetorical tactics of activists, presidents, and lawyers, he illustrates how committed citizens seek to promote or destabilize a convergence in constitutional ideas. "Eloquence and Reason" reveals the social and institutional processes through which foundational ideas are generated and defends a cultural role for the courts.
Author Biography
Susan Zuccotti taught Holocaust history and modern French history at Barnard and Columbia Colleges, New York University, and Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She is the author of the award-winning Under His Very Windows: The Vatican and the Holocaust in Italy and currently is an independent historian living in New York City.
