The Constitution of Interests: Beyond the Politics of Rights

“In the wake of legal realism, it has become commonplace to question the distinction between law and politics. Usually, this is accomplished by asserting that law is a creature of politics, with legal doctrines serving as a mere medium for the conveyance of normative political preferences. In The Constitution of Interests, however, Professor Brigham demonstrates that the causal arrow also points in the opposite direction. Political and ideological movements can be understood as products of the very legal concepts that they seek to transcend. Brigham’s thesis is thoughtful, carefully constructed, and tantalizing in its implications.”–Girardeau A. Spann, Professor Law, Georgetown University

“John Brigham’s work is always at the cutting edge of law and politics research. This book is the clearest statement yet of the newest research direction, one that takes as its key words, ‘constitute, ‘ ‘discourse, ‘ and ‘practice.'”–Martin Shapiro, School of Law, University of California, Berkeley

“The strengths of the book are many. The theme is well conceived and argued. It is thought provoking and informative. The author has done his homework. . . . [and] does a good job of weaving his theme from chapter to chapter.”– “The Law and Politics Book Review”