Good Governing

Good Governing: The Police Power in the American States is a deep historical and legal analysis of state police power, examining its origins in the founding period of the American republic through the twentieth century. The book reveals how American police power was intended to be a broad, but not unlimited, charter of regulatory governance, designed to implement key constitutional objectives and advance the general welfare. It explores police power’s promise as a mechanism for implementing successful regulatory governance and tackling societal ills, while considering key structural issues like separation of powers and individual rights. This insightful book will shape understanding of the neglected state police power, a key part of constitutional governance in the United States. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Daniel B. Rodriguez is the Harold Washington Professor of Law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. In addition to Northwestern, Professor Rodriguez has held tenured positions at the University of Texas, the University of San Diego, and the University of California, Berkeley and has held visiting positions at Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. His scholarship focuses on public law, including constitutional law, administrative law, and regulation.