Andrew Scott Bibby James Madison Program

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 28, 2025, 4:37 PM

andrew scott bibby james madison program

Andrew Bibby teaches classes in Political Science, Political Theory, and American Heritage. He is the recipient of major research awards, including a SSHRC Masters scholarship and the Postdoctoral Fellowship in the James Madison Program for American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton. He is the author of Montesquieu's Political Economy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). His writing on American Political Thought has appeared in various news and media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal. His current research focuses on the relationship between political depolarization and decentralization in the American federal system. Johana graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Political Science (with an American Government emphasis) and a minor in constitutional studies.

In 2022, she earned her master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (with concentrations in business administration, communication, and leadership). Johana joined the Federalism Index Project in 2019 and, among other things, helps with website development, research, and data visualization. She has plans for further graduate work in leadership, constitutional, and federalism studies. Noah is currently a student at UVU earning his BA in Political Science (emphasis in American Government). His course work at UVU has included courses in American Federalism, Constitutional Law & History, Political Theory, and Comparative Politics. He has served with the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF) in their delegation to the United Nations CSW.

He plans to attend law school in the fall of 2026 hoping to do work in appellate litigation. Noah joined the Federalism Index Project in 2025 and is currently working with the team on website development, research, and writing. Research and writing towards a book on the history and future of American federalism. American federalism is often considered the revolutionary generation’s unique contribution to democratic theory and practice. Today, more than half the world’s population lives in some kind of federal system. Nearly 250 years ago, the idea of dividing sovereignty across different tiers of government was viewed as radical, even impossible.

The American Revolution gave rise to a profound rethinking of political power, and it culminated in a new form of government, what Madison called “The Compound Republic.” Highly imperfect, and vigorously debated, it was... This book project traces the intellectual and constitutional history of these ideals and explains the surprising persistence of the federal idea in the United States, despite recurring—and often overstated—claims of its demise. This book provides an introductory survey of Montesquieu's economic ideas and a fresh examination of the longstanding controversy over the meaning and purpose of Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws. No one doubts that Montesquieu helped to formulate the core liberal ideals at the heart of the development of liberal republican traditions on both the European and American continents. Yet, questions remain about Montesquieu's political intentions. In particular, the view of Montesquieu as a conscious proponent of commercial modernity has come under increasing scrutiny.

While not ignoring recent scholarly challenges, Bibby moves the debate forward by uncovering the many hidden connections between commerce, liberty, and religion in The Spirit of the Laws. A failure to make these connections, Bibby argues, has led to significant interpretative errors. This book attempts to eliminate one source of the confusion which continues to cloud Montesquieu's political philosophy inobscurity. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. Andrew Scott Bibby is Interim Director of the Center for Constitutional Studies, Utah Valley University, USA. Previously, he was Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University, USA and Research Associate at the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton University, USA.

Bibby's current research focuses on Montesquieu's influence on the American Founding and the early republic. He teaches courses on American political thought and the intellectual foundations of the US Constitution. This book provides an introductory survey of Montesquieu's economic ideas and a fresh examination of the longstanding controversy over the meaning and purpose of Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws. No one doubts that Montesquieu helped to formulate the core liberal ideals at the heart of the development of liberal republican traditions on both the European and American continents. Yet, questions remain about Montesquieu's political intentions. In particular, the view of Montesquieu as a conscious proponent of commercial modernity has come under increasing scrutiny.

Andrew Scott Bibby James Madison Program

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