Preamble as Policy

In The Preamble as Policy: A Guidebook to Governance and Civic Duty the authors show that the Preamble to the Constitution is more than an introduction to the document; it sets the tone for the rest of the document and how it should be viewed and interpreted. It is also a list of goals for a new government and a tool for holding our elected representatives accountable for their efforts on our behalf. The Preamble as Policy looks at the history of the development of the Constitution to show how the Preamble can be used to judge the laws and policies enacted by the federal government. The Preamble as Policy weaves political thought, history, and current events together allowing for examination of an oft forgotten part of the Constitution. It provides a unique framework and firm foundation for class discussions or social interactions about what we have achieved as a nation and where we might have come up short.

Robert Irons (Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology) is Associate Professor of Finance and Chair of the Accounting and Finance Department at Illinois Wesleyan University. He has taught undergraduate and MBA students for over twenty years and is published in numerous academic journals, including the Journal of Portfolio Management. Dr. Irons worked as a financial analyst for AT&T and United Airlines.

Jim Twombly (Ph.D., Stony Brook University) is Professor of Political Science at Elmira College in New York. He is the author of The Progression of the American Presidency, Political Scandal and American Pop Culture: Sex, Power, and Cover-ups, and Directing the Whirlwind: The Trump Presidency and the Deconstruction of the Administrative State (with Lisa K. Parshall).