CFP: “Revisiting Charles Beard's An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution: An Interdisciplinary Symposium”

From the University of Virginia, we have the following Call for Papers:

“Revisiting Charles Beard's An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution: An Interdisciplinary Symposium”

University of Virginia

October 24, 2013

The University of Virginia School of Law, in conjunction with the Miller Center, invites proposals for a day-long symposium to honor the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of Charles Beard’s An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. In 1913, Charles Beard famously upended traditional scholarship on the Constitution when he proposed that this founding document should be understood not as a sacred text or one expounding upon important principles, but rather as the product of the economic interests of the men who framed it. In the decades that followed, even as scholars disputed its tenents, Beard’s work remained foundational – even a necessary prerequisite – to modern histories of the Constitution, and, more broadly, to discussions of political and legal behavior.

On October 24, 2013, the University of Virginia School of Law, in cooperation with the Miller Center, will host a day-long symposium celebrating the anniversary of Beard’s seminal work, and reflecting on its relevance and legacy one hundred years after its publication. Papers might address An Economic Interpretation as a historical work, its significance for modern studies of the Constitution and American politics, or the general idea of constitutional veneration. Comparative projects are welcome. Our goal is a vigorous, provocative, and interdisciplinary discussion, in a roundtable atmosphere. In this spirit we encourage submission of papers that are speculative or in an early stage of development, and from various areas of study, including history, law, and political science.

One-page proposals and a short CV should be submitted to Jessica Lowe (jessicaklowe@virginia.edu) and Mark Graber (MGraber@law.umaryland.edu) by July 10, 2013.