Political Philosophy, the American Constitutional Heritage, and Constitutional Thinking

Abstract

Chapter 6 establishes constitutional thinking—an understanding of and engagement with the political ideas and values informing the Constitution’s history and the foundation of American government—as vital for the constitutional competency of career public servants. This chapter covers the three components of constitutional thinking: the Constitution itself, its design (constitutionalization), and the means by which career public servants achieve the goals of government as set forth in the Constitution’s Preamble without jeopardizing the liberty of citizens (constitutionalism). To provide a foundation for such thinking, the chapter traces the evolution of the Constitution’s guiding principles of government’s protection of individual rights and political equality derived from Locke’s political philosophy to their influence on the American founders in drafting the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.