ABSTRACT
The fragile character of decent political orders and the temptations of democratic utopianism are not unfamiliar themes to students of the history of political philosophy. These themes guided reflections and discourse on political life from pre-Socratic to relatively recent times. The commitment to unlimited progress through social reform is visible in classic form in the political thought of progressives such as Woodrow Wilson who sought desperately to bring democratic principles to perfection in the United States and abroad. In turn, progressive thought facilitated and received formal expression in the substantive reforms of the New Deal. The New Deal, in fact, forms an interesting backdrop for an assessment of Edward Banfield’s political thought and writing. The task to which Banfield has committed his efforts can be usefully highlighted by the recognition that the study of politics has to a large extent been reduced to an examination of the minutiae of everyday life.
