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On Statesmanship
Brief Description
What true statecraft consists of, and how to know a statesman when we see one In the modern world, we yearn for great leaders but resist them when they come along. In this much-needed essay, Steven B. Smith tells us that a statesman is something far...
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On Statesmanship
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Description
What true statecraft consists of, and how to know a statesman when we see one
In the modern world, we yearn for great leaders but resist them when they come along. In this much-needed essay, Steven B. Smith tells us that a statesman is something far different from a demagogue or a technocrat. He or she incorporates many qualities of leadership—persuasiveness, courage, foresight, judgement—to take people where they need to go while hardly seeming to lead them at all.
A true statesman is focused not on amassing power but on finding the best way to use power towards responsible ends. Above all else, Smith argues, the statesman is an educator who, through language and argument, helps shape a people's civic understanding.
On Statesmanship is a timely reminder of a set of qualities we desperately need in our political leaders but have forgotten how to talk about.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780300281743
Publisher: Yale University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 18 August 2026
Country: United States
Imprint: Yale University Press
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education
DIMENSIONS
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 320
About the Author
Steven B. Smith is Alfred Cowles Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Yale University and co-director of Yale’s Center for the Study of Representative Institutions. His books include Political Philosophy, Modernity and Its Discontents, and Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes. He splits his time between New Haven, CT, and Brooklyn, NY.
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