| Common Sense Subjects: Political science -- History -- 18th century; Paine Thomas 1737–1809. Common sense; United States -- Politics and government -- 1775–1783; France -- Politics and government -- 1789–1799; Democracy -- United States; Common sense has always been a cornerstone of American politics. In 1776, Tom Paine's vital pamphlet with that title sparked the American Revolution. And today, common sense--the wisdom of ordinary people, knowledge so self-evident that it is beyond debate--remains a powerful political ideal, utilized alike by George W. Bush's aw-shucks articulations and Barack Obama's down-to-earth reasonableness. But far from self-evident is where our faith in common sense comes from and how its populist logic has shaped modern democracy. Common Sense: A Political History is the first book to explore this essential political phenomenon. Rosenfeld Sophia : Sophia Rosenfeld is Associate Professor of History at the University of Virginia. |