The Founders' Key: The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It [Hardcover]

Larry P. Arnn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2012

Today the integrity and unity of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are under attack by the Progressive political movement. And yet, writes Larry P. Arnn:

“The words of the Declaration of Independence ring across the ages. The arrangements of the Constitution have a way of organizing our actions so as to produce certain desirable results, and they have done this more reliably than any governing instrument in the history of man. Connect these arrangements to the beauty of the Declaration and one has something inspiring and commanding.”

From Chapter 2, The Founders’ Key

Dr. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, reveals this integral unity of the Declaration and the Constitution. Together, they form the pillars upon which the liberties and rights of the American people stand. United, they have guided history’s first self-governing nation, forming our government under certain universal and eternal principles. Unfortunately, the effort to redefine government to reflect “the changing and growing social order” has gone very far toward success. Politicians such as Franklin Roosevelt found ways to condemn and discard the Constitution and to redefine the Declaration to justify government without limit. As a result, both documents have been weakened, their influence diminished, and their meaning obscured—paving the way for the modern administrative state, unaccountable to the will of the people.

The Founders’ Key is a powerful call to rediscover the connection between these two mighty documents, and thereby restore our political faith and revive our free institutions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Larry P. Arnn is the president of Hillsdale College. He received his BA from Arkansas State University, and his MA and PhD in Government from the Claremont Graduate School. Dr. Arnn has been published widely in newspapers and magazines on issues of public policy, history, and political theory, and he is the author of Liberty and Learning: The Evolution of American Education. He and his wife, Penelope, have four children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Edition, 3rd Printing edition (February 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595554726
• ISBN-13: 978-1595554727
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Risk Not Worth Taking March 1, 2012

By William L. Brown VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The President of Hillsdale College, Larry Arnn, has issued this short book (123 pages plus 93 pages of foundational readings) to explain the connection between the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.

Recently, a number of authors have argued that the Declaration and Constitution are opposed to each other. The Declaration states that all are created equal, whereas the Constitution protects the institution of slavery. Dr. Arnn provides a detailed explanation of this seeming contradiction, noting that, among other indications, the following actions showed that the Founders were (at most) reluctant supporters of slavery:

1. George Washington did not abuse his slaves, and he took steps to ensure that they would be freed upon his death.
2. The Founders limited and eventually outlawed the importation of slaves from abroad.
3. They abolished slavery in a majority of the original states.
4. And, they forbade the expansion of slavery into areas where it had not been originally permitted.

The most critical part of this book is the author's discussion of what amounts to a fourth branch of the federal government: the Administrative State. The various Departments in Washington, DC, amount to an unelected, unaccountable government that has absolute power which, according to Lord Acton, "tends to corrupt absolutely." Dr. Arnn does not hold out any hope for a rapid dissolution of this growing bureaucratic arm of the State, but he does provide guidelines for bringing it under the control of the governed.

James Madison, writing in Federalist Paper Number 62, stated that "It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is to-day, can guess what it will be to-morrow. Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?"

The income tax code, health care reform, financial reform, etc. are so complex that literally no ordinary citizen can comprehend them. We can thank the Fourth Branch of government for these labyrinthine gems. The Regulatory System cannot be rolled back overnight, but when we are sliding toward a cliff we should at least turn off the engine and/or apply the brakes. Arnn shows the way to begin this process; not to do so is to take a risk that we cannot afford to take.

53 of 65 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Government for Men Not Angels February 8, 2012

By Nancy Famolari VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

In The Founder's Key, Dr. Arnn discusses the interrelatedness of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. A great many people know the first words of the Declaration, but fail to read the middle paragraphs. This is where Jefferson and the other formulators of the Declaration set forth the reasons for the break with Great Britain. In these paragraphs they set out the concepts of separation of powers, representation and the limited scope of government that formed the basis of the Constitution. The men who authored the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were under no illusions that men are not angels. Men have passions and desires that keep them from always espousing the noblest course. Therefore, the government to be fair to everyone must have a set of restraints that keep the branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial from individually usurping the power that is allocated to all three.

This is a very readable book, one that everyone interested in the issues of government should read. Dr. Arnn does an excellent job of presenting material from source documents: the Declaration, Constitution, and Federalist Papers. He also includes these source documents in the book. You don't have to take his word for what is being said. You can read it for yourself.

He makes a particularly good case for the problems with the encroaching bureaucracy we find ourselves enmeshed in today. The bureaucracy has no system of checks and balances. They make the rules, administer them and judge them. This is a prescription for abuse of power, particularly since the people who work in the bureaucracy are not angels. They are people with their own set of premises and desires that have not received the consent of governed.

I highly recommend this book. Whether you agree with his premises or not, you will at least have an understanding of what they source documents say and not be led astray by spurious reasoning. Knowing what is contained in the material will set you free to form your own opinions.

I reviewed this book as part of the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Review of: THE FOUNDERS' KEY by LARRY P. ARNN May 28, 2012

By Jason R. Raines

Format:Hardcover

Dr. Arnn is the President of Hillsdale College. That alone generated enough interest for me to read this book. In order to understand the current debate regarding our Constitution, the author explores the connections between it, and the Declaration of Independence. He points out substantial evidence for the faith of the men involved in writing these documents. Furthermore, he gives specific examples of documents they wrote that shed light on how they did not operate in an isolated vacuum from each other.

Today's efforts to redefine the Constitution cause people (and even scholars) to suggest that the Declaration of Independence has nothing to do in the debate, because they are separate documents. Arnn argues that many of the men involved in crafting the Constitution had lived through the Revolution, and knew full well that the outcome of their "experiment" depends on having a government that serves the people.

The book is a little over 200 pages of hard hitting factual analysis, with a substantial part of the volume given to reprinting foundational readings, including The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States of America, Federalist No. 10, Federalist No. 39, Federalist No. 48, Federalist No. 49, Federalist No. 51, and "Property" by James Madison.

Arnn relies heavily on Virginians Jefferson and Madison for his points, but reinforces them with evidence from others, such as Washington and John Adams.

For an interesting look at the linkage between our country's foundational documents, check out this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."