Dec 22, 2016
Should the government play a major or minor role in the lives of
American citizens? This core question resurfaces during each
election and continues to divide the political parties. It turns
out that this argument is not new. In his newest book, Yale
historian Steve Pincus challenges those who argue that the
Declaration of Independence should be used for political guidance
today, saying it’s in favor of limited government. Pincus shows
that the Declaration of Independence actually gives the government
more power, primarily to promote and protect citizens’ welfare.
What was the original intent of the founding fathers? And is
the document still applicable today? In episode #25, professors
Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Pincus, who examines these
issues in his new book: “Heart of the Declaration: The Founders’
Case for an Activist Government.” Pincus, Bradford Durfee
Professor of History at Yale University, studies Atlantic history,
the history of Britain, the British empire, global history and
early American history. He also is the author of “Protestantism and
Patriotism: Ideologies and the Making of English Foreign Policy,
1650-1668,” “England’s Glorious Revolution 1688-89” and “1688: The
First Modern Revolution.”