To counter the threat America faces, two political scientists offer "clear constitutional solutions that break sharply with the conventional wisdom" (Steven Levitsky, New York Times–bestselling coauthor of How Democracies Die).Has American democracy's long, ambitious run come to an end? Possibly yes. As William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe argue in this trenchant new analysis of modern politics, the United States faces a historic crisis that threaten...

Howells’ best-known work and a subtle classic of its time, The Rise of Silas Lapham is an elegant tale of Boston society and manners.After garnering a fortune in the paint business, Silas Lapham moves his family from their Vermont farm to the city of Boston in order to improve his social position. The consequences of this endeavor are both humorous and tragic as the greedy Silas brings his company to the brink of bankruptcy.The novel focuses on important themes in ...

"It is the nature of war to increase the executive at the expense of the legislative authority," wrote Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers. The balance of power between Congress and the president has been a powerful thread throughout American political thought since the time of the Founding Fathers. And yet, for all that has been written on the topic, we still lack a solid empirical or theoretical justification for Hamilton's proposition.For the first time, William G. Howel...

In this book of travels Mr. Howells relates the incidents and impressions of his trip through Spain. In a leisurely, discursive fashion he notes what most appealed to him as he journeyed from San Sebastian through Burgos, Madrid, Toledo, Cordova, Seville to Granada, Ronda, Algecirus, and Tarifa. Like a glorified cinemacolor film, he passes in review Spanish scenery, the architecture of cathedrals and palaces; theatres and hotels; picturesque street-scenes, Moorish remains; the King and Que...

'A Little Swiss Sojourn' was passed in the village of Villeneuve in the canton of Vaud, where a comfortable pension, vineyards galore, a gothic chapel, the placid lake, the snow-covered Alps, an occasional château (to let, furnished, for $500 a year) lent charm, dignity and ample opportunity for reminiscence to the visit of three months of which this narrative records the impressions. It is a pretty picture of an alien civilization, having certain quaint analogies with our own hard-favored...

In "Oliver Wendell Holmes," part of his larger work "Literary Friends and Acquaintance," William Dean Howells presents a captivating portrait of the esteemed American author and jurist, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Howells employs an engaging, conversational style, offering readers a window into Holmes's intellect and literary contributions within the context of 19th-century American literature. The work reflects Howells's commitment to realism, enriched by personal anecdotes and philosophica...

Mr. Howells has in the present volume given his writings the form of a series of historical stories, in which his native State is described and pictured from as remote a period as the geologic ice age. The slow-moving glaciers in the distant past covered most of the present State of Ohio. They rounded off the corners of her hills, smoothed the contour of her valleys, left glacial scratches on her rocks, and transported boulders from remote points where they had an origin and left them on t...

How the search for power defines the American presidential officeAll American presidents, past and present, have cared deeply about power—acquiring, protecting, and expanding it. While individual presidents obviously have other concerns, such as shaping policy or building a legacy, the primacy of power considerations—exacerbated by expectations of the presidency and the inadequacy of explicit powers in the Constitution—sets presidents apart from other political acto...

The classic novel about an ordinary man's ascent into wealthy Boston circles, and its effect on him and his family.Thanks to hard work and good fortune, Silas Lapham succeeds financially in the paint business. But money and class are not the same thing, and the Laphams struggle to feel they truly fit in amid New England's social aristocracy.When they move into a luxurious home in the elite Back Bay neighborhood, they soon have a young patrician in their liv...

Key themes explored in "The Rise of Silas Lapham" include:Wealth and Social Status: The novel delves into the impact of newfound wealth on individuals' aspirations and interactions with established social hierarchies.Business and Ethics: The Lapham family's journey raises questions about the moral implications of business decisions and the pursuit of wealth.Family Dynamics: The relationships within the Lapham family are tested as they navigate societal expectations and personal ambitions.R...

The following story was the first fruit of my New York life when I began to live it after my quarter of a century in Cambridge and Boston, ending in 1889; and I used my own transition to the commercial metropolis in framing the experience which was wholly that of my supposititious literary adventurer. He was a character whom, with his wife, I have employed in some six or eight other stories, and whom I made as much the hero and heroine of 'Their Wedding Journey' as the slight fable would b...

In 'The Incredible Tales of Ohio (Illustrated Edition)' by William Dean Howells, readers are taken on a captivating journey through the state of Ohio, exploring its rich history and culture through a collection of compelling stories. Howells's literary style is marked by vivid descriptions and attention to detail, evoking a strong sense of time and place. The stories reflect the literary context of the late 19th century, capturing the essence of realism and regionalism in American literatu...