Montesquieu and the Constitution

Described in The Federalist as “the celebrated Montesquieu,” Charles de Montesquieu was cited more often than any other author from 1760-1800. In what ways did his writings and ideas help shape the U.S. Constitution and the structure of American government? Join William B. Allen of Michigan State University, Thomas Pangle of the University of Texas at Austin, Dennis Rasmussen of Syracuse University, and Diana Schaub of the American Enterprise Institute, for a discussion on the political thought of Montesquieu and his influence on American democracy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Additional Resources

Dennis Rasmussen, Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders

Diana Schaub, Erotic Liberalism: Women and Revolution in Montesquieu’s Persian Letters

The Federalist Papers

Dennis Rasmussen, The Pragmatic Enlightenment: Recovering the Liberalism of Hume, Smith, Montesquieu, and Voltaire

Thomas Pangle, Montesquieu’s Philosophy of Liberalism: A Commentary on the Spirit of the Laws

Thomas Pangle, The Theological Basis of Liberal Modernity in Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws

Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws: A Critical Edition, ed. William B. Allen

Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws (1748)

Thomas Pangle, “Considerations on the Romans,” in The Cambridge Companion to Montesquieu

Diana Schaub, “Montesquieu on the Liberty of Women," in The Cambridge Companion to Montesquieu

Montesquieu, The Persian Letters (1721)

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Described in The Federalist as “the celebrated Montesquieu,” Charles de Montesquieu was cited more often than any other author from 1760-1800. In what ways did his writings and ideas help shape the U.S. Constitution and the structure of American government? Join William B. Allen of Michigan State University, Thomas Pangle of the University of Texas at Austin, Dennis Rasmussen of Syracuse University, and Diana Schaub of the American Enterprise Institute, for a discussion on the political thought of Montesquieu and his influence on American democracy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Additional Resources

Stay Connected and Learn More

Continue the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.

Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.

Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.