Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago
Dr. Paul O. Carrese, who is the Founding Director of the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, discusses the importance of the Baron de Montesquieu in understanding the American Founding and contemporary America. He argues that Montesquieu had a much larger impact on the American Founding than most people realize and that the principles of moderation and free speech were central to Montesquieu's understanding of good government. Carrese has held fellowships at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, Harvard University, the University of Delhi, and the James Madison Program at Princeton University. He co-led a national study funded by the N.E.H. and US Department of Education, Educating for American Democracy, with the goal of improving American history and civics education in K-12 schools with partners from Harvard and Tufts Universities and iCivics. His most recent book is Democracy in Moderation: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, and Sustainable Liberalism (2016).
00:00 Who was Montesquieu?
05:40 Why was Montesquieu venerated by the Framers of the U.S. Constitution?
09:36 Montesquieu and The Enlightenment
14:50 How was Montesquieu used by the Anti-Federalists?
20:30 Montesquieu on Moderation
23:53 George Washington's Moderation
28:56 Montesquieu and U.S. Foreign Policy
35:14 What Should Civics and U.S. History Teachers Know about Montesquieu?
Dr. Paul O. Carrese, who is the Founding Director of the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, discusses the importance of the Baron de Montesquieu in understanding the American Founding and contemporary America. He argues that Montesquieu had a much larger impact on the American Founding than most people realize and that the principles of moderation and free speech were central to Montesquieu's understanding of good government. Carrese has held fellowships at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, Harvard University, the University of Delhi, and the James Madison Program at Princeton University. He co-led a national study funded by the N.E.H. and US Department of Education, Educating for American Democracy, with the goal of improving American history and civics education in K-12 schools with partners from Harvard and Tufts Universities and iCivics. His most recent book is Democracy in Moderation: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, and Sustainable Liberalism (2016).
00:00 Who was Montesquieu?
05:40 Why was Montesquieu venerated by the Framers of the U.S. Constitution?
09:36 Montesquieu and The Enlightenment
14:50 How was Montesquieu used by the Anti-Federalists?
20:30 Montesquieu on Moderation
23:53 George Washington's Moderation
28:56 Montesquieu and U.S. Foreign Policy
35:14 What Should Civics and U.S. History Teachers Know about Montesquieu?
