Description
Book SynopsisSheehan's thoughtful book makes a convincing case that the modern political order arises out of people's shared expectations and hopes, without which the nation state could not exist.
Every political order depends on a set of shared expectations about how the order does and should work. In Making a Modern Political Order, James Sheehan provides a sophisticated analysis of these expectations and shows how they are a source of both cohesion and conflict in the modern society of nation states. The author divides these expectations into three groups: first, expectations about the definition and character of political space, which in the modern era are connected to the emergence of a new kind of state; second, expectations about the nature of political communities (that is, about how people relate to one another and to their governments); and finally, expectations about the international system (namely, how states interact in a society of nation states). Although Shee
Trade Review
“In a time when scholars regularly call for big-picture histories that tackle global themes, this is the rare book that actually accomplishes that goal.” —Alexander M. Martin, author of Enlightened Metropolis
“This is a wonderful book. Sheehan is a gifted historian, the subject perennially important, large themes clearly announced and pursued, an impressive range of secondary materials adroitly deployed, the writing unobtrusive yet graceful.” —Nicholas Greenwood Onuf, author of The Mightie Frame
"Sheehan's conclusions capture the balance of change and continuity in human experience." —Law & Liberty
“This fine book manages to cover more ground in its short span than do many books two or three times its length. Students at many levels, from the undergraduate to the postdoctoral, will learn much from it.” —Perspectives on Political Science
Table of ContentsIllustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction: “Horizons of Expectation”
1. The Ancien Regime
2. Making States Modern
3. Nations
4. A Society of Nation States
Conclusion: Beyond the Horizon
Bibliography
