"This perceptive work expands the understanding of democracy an raises serious and thought-provoking questions about the predominance and meaning of the politics of reason."—Choice
"A valuable contribution to an expanding historical literature on the roles of reason, passion, and violence in antebellum political culture."—H-Net Reviews
"An innovative, provocative study that deserves the attention of scholars of American political rhetoric, particularly of the antebellum period."—Rhetoric & Public Affairs
"Intelligent, wholly accessible, and free of jargon of any kind."—American Historical Review
"This erudite book by a historically well informed political scientist challenges and historicizes the assumption that democracy and rational argument necessarily imply one another and that reasoned debate defines a democratic polity."—Journal of American History
"This book works on four levels: as a study of a particular historical period, as a critique of Habermas, as a comparison of three normative models of ‘political practices,’ and as a commentary/critique on contemporary American democracy."—The Historian
"We assume that, like the air we breathe, reasoned discourse and rational deliberation are the way things are, were, and should be in a democracy. Smith argues that things don’t have to be—and weren’t always—that way, that passion has held and still retains a vital place in American political discourse. A brilliant book and significant contribution to both American intellectual history and political theory."—Jean Baker, author of Affairs of Party: The Political Culture of Northern Democrats in Mid-Century America
"A marvelous achievement. Smith’s scholarly range is remarkable. She is equally conversant in nineteenth-century U.S. politics, the history of modern thinking about rhetoric, and contemporary political theory. This book cuts through the usual academic categories. It is about abolitionism and antebellum newspapers, the end of classical rhetoric, and the theory of Jurgen Habermas all at the same time."—Kenneth Cmiel, author of Democratic Eloquence: The Fight over Popular Speech in Nineteenth-Century America
"Smart, subtle, and provocative, Smith’s book has something important to say about the terms and nature of democratic political life. Her writing is clear and lively, and her argument is interesting, particularly in taking on the very fashionable and very overrated emphasis on rational deliberation."—Wilson Carey McWilliams, author of The Idea of Fraternity in America
"Smith draws together works on republican theory, cultural studies, labor history, abolitionism, and political theory in a manner that will engage the interest of political scientists, historians, and students of American culture."—Louis S. Gerteis, author of Morality and Utility in American Antislavery Reform
"More than most scholars, Smith has a good feel for the texture of politics and the way that ideas and theories are used in action. Without disparaging reason, she argues persuasively that the ideal of rationality has been employed frequently to undermine radical democracy."—Joshua I. Miller, author of Democratic Temperament: The Legacy of William James
