United States Constitution.

BOORSTIN, Daniel [William Safire].

$750.00

Item Number: 127627

Cambridge: Welch, Bigelow, and Company, 1987.

First edition of the Constitution published for the bicentennial of its adoption in 1787. Octavo, original wrappers. Association copy, inscribed by Daniel Boorstin on the title page, “For Bill and Helene with love from Dan Sept 7, 1987.” The recipient, William Safire was an important American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter and a close friend of the then Librarian of Congress Daniel Boorstin. Safire joined Nixon’s campaign for the 1960 Presidential race, and again in 1968. After Nixon’s 1968 victory, Safire served as a speechwriter for him and Spiro Agnew. He authored several political columns in addition to his weekly column “On Language” in The New York Times Magazine from 1979 until the month of his death and authored two books on grammar and linguistics: The New Language of Politics (1968) and what Zimmer called Safire’s “magnum opus,” Safire’s Political Dictionary. Safire later served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board from 1995 to 2004 and in 2006 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. Preface by Warren E. Burger. Introduction by Daniel Boorstin. Also, laid in is a signed letter to Helene Safire from Ruth Boorstin, on their personal letterhead. In near fine condition.

Originally comprising seven articles, The Constitution of the United States delineates the national frame of government. Its first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). Article IV, Article V and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relationship to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure subsequently used by the 13 States to ratify it. It is regarded as the oldest written and codified national constitution in force. Since the Constitution came into force in 1789, it has been amended 27 times, including one amendment that repealed a previous one, in order to meet the needs of a nation that has profoundly changed since the 18th century.