Jeffersons Brew for a True Revolution by Christopher Phillips - Essay Example

Constitution Café This essay seeks to review the book en d Constitution Café: Jeffersons Brew for a True Revolution written by Christopher Phillips. The essay will summarize the contents of the book and analyze its relevance in the study of the United States’ history. More specifically, the essay will give an overview of what the author has written. As a result of optimism that surrounded the presidency of Barrack Obama and the partisanship in Congress, which seemed fierce, Christopher Phillips engages Americans in discussions regarding their fundamental freedoms and rights. The discussions are based on Thomas Jefferson, a radical who held the belief that there was the need to keep on revising the Constitution. As outlined in the book, periodic amendment of the Constitution can be regarded as essential since it keeps the constitution in line with the changing times. Phillips contends that the Constitution has become an immutable as well as a sacred text, which needs some shaking up or some review (Phillips 1–336). In the book, Phillips argues that respect of the United States’ Constitution forms a key phenomenon of modern political life in America. According to Phillips, the Constitution is the basis upon which the rights of the U.S. citizens can be understood. Across the political spectrum, it has become the last argument of politicians and the secular scripture has it as the moral gravity. The book explains the desire of the third American president, Thomas Jefferson, that Americans should rewrite the Constitution after every twenty years in order to enable them to meet their needs. The radical ideas of Jefferson are put to the test by Phillips, who asks Americans to create a new Constitution that will serve their needs (Phillips 1–336). Throughout the book, the main idea that Phillips strives to pass focuses on how the American public could rewrite the United States’ Constitution. The book involves a series of discussions, which engage various groups coming together and focussing on various Articles and Amendments. For example, there are teenagers who talk about the amendment of age at which people should vote, and lawyers discussing the patent clause. Each of the groups involved comes up with new Articles, which have the aim of redressing problems of the existent Constitution. The author also discusses the historical interludes regarding the conflicts among the Founding Fathers; this highlights the compromises as well as difficulties that were needed in 1783 (Phillips 1–336). In the book, Phillips portrays that the Constitution of United States is a document that should be interpreted and reread constantly. As Phillips travels across the United States and conducts informal working sessions, he engages many citizens and urges them to re-examine the American Constitution and make suggestions on improvements and updates that should be instituted. The book brings further highlights of the mindsets and ideas of the Founding Fathers, who include Madison and Jefferson. The ideas raised in the book could be implemented with the purpose of changing the political system of the United States. In the book, the author strives to bring out how the current experiences and reasoning of ordinary citizens can be applied to make life better for American citizens. The book calls for the instituting of thoughtful changes to the current U.S. constitution; it also acts as a history lesson (Phillips 1–336). Moreover, the book also highlights that the systems in place should be subjected to periodic improvements as a result of the changing needs of the people. Phillips quotes Jefferson who stated “Institutions and laws should progress and change with the changes taking place with the human mind.” Phillips advocates this change since people become more enlightened and new truths are being disclosed; opinions change; there is change of circumstances; and new discoveries are made. Therefore, institutions such as the constitution have to keep pace with the changing times. In the book, the author engages the reader in a discussion of the early days when the Republic of United States came to being. The author also highlights disputes witnessed as a result of the involvement of Jefferson with issues of the constitution in the state of Virginia as well as the entire country. Throughout the book, Phillips tends to be informative with regard to the modern-day life with discussions of Jefferson and the disagreements among the founding fathers. The book refreshes as it highlights instances of Americans having discussions and conversations, which provoke their thoughts about the Constitution (Phillips 1–336). The book portrays American democracy, which hinges on the continued questioning of received wisdom, as well as authority. The author makes a suggestion that there is the need to give people the mandate to amend the Constitution. In its true and deep patriotic and radical nature, Constitution Café represents the promise and the power of democracy. The book employs extraordinary conversations of ordinary citizens to re-energize the ideas of the Founding Fathers and documents of the United States (Phillips 1–336). Christopher Phillips indicates how constitutional change in the United States can be achieved. According to him, the best way to achieve a change in the Constitution is by allowing Americans to talk amongst themselves on how the nation can be improved. Constitution Café can be regarded as a book with significant relevance to the understanding of U.S. history. This can be evidenced by the fact that the book provides an insight into the United States’ past and the desire of the Founding Fathers. The book also highlights the initial ideas of the American Founding Fathers and their view of how the American society should be run. The book is also relevant to the understanding of U.S. history as it engages the reader in understanding the provisions of the Constitution. The book also helps to understand the intentions of the Founding Fathers that the United States’ Constitution should be changed in line with the changing needs of the citizens. Historically, the book also helps in understanding the future needs that should be provided in the Constitution. In conclusion, Phillips has used a combination of the approach of Socrates and Jefferson’s wisdom in discussing what should be done to the U.S. Constitution. The author offers an insight into how people can work together to understand the challenges faced by modern America. The Constitution Café reflects that the political creativity, which defined the democracy of Jefferson, is still significant in the United States. Works Cited Phillips, Christopher. Constitution Café: Jeffersons Brew for a True Revolution. New York: W. W. Norton, 2011. Print. Read More