About the Book: In Our Republican Constitution, legal scholar Randy E. Barnett explores the deep-seated constitutional conflict at the heart of America’s political divide. He explains that two opposing traditions exist: the “democrats,” who see “We the People” as a collective and the Constitution as a living document, and the “republicans,” who view “We the People” as individuals with pre-existing rights that the government must protect. Barnett traces this historical struggle from the founding of the nation through the Civil War and the progressive era, arguing for a return to the republican constitutional tradition.