This is one of the best books on the political thought of Henry Clay.
Shankman argues that Clay’s career as a whole demonstrates a consistent
commitment to an ideal of republican statecraft, resting on a foundation
of limited executive power, a strong and highly developed economy, and
political partries organized in support of limited yet clear policy
programs, and driven by legislative leadership dedicated to forging
consensus through compromise. Shankman argues that while Clay’s
approach is clearly consistent with the Federalist conception of
ordinary constitutional statesmanship, Clay’s inability to deal
adequately with the problem of slavery reveals that it was insufficient
for coming to grips with the extraordinary challenges that can beset a
republic.