Elizabeth Beaumont is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, where she focuses on democracy, citizenship, and constitutionalism. Previously, she was a Research Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. In addition to her work on constitutionalism, she has co-authored books on civic education and political engagement.

"One thing that makes 'The Civic Constitution' particularly exciting is the achievement of studying this extremely diffuse form of popular constitutionalism...Beaumont does an impressive job, weaving together newspaper articles, political pamphlets, popular songs, sermons, and petitions to identify the contents of civic constitutionalism. The result makes for a convincing argument, and an exciting read." --Political Science Quarterly

"[A]n excellent resource, providing a worthwhile and well-reasoned perspective contributing to a fuller understanding of American constitutionalism. A valuable addition to the discourse on popular constitutionalism, this title should occupy a place in every academic law library." - Heather N. Joy, Research/Instruction Librarian, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, Chapman University, Law Library Journal

"[P]rovides a rich and fascinating account of how popular participation has informed constitutional development by going beyond rights claims and legal mobilization" --Cyril Ghosh, Review of Politics

"The groups that Beaumont studies are not unfamiliar, but she places them in a position not usually granted to them. In Beaumont's work, these are not merely enthusiastic citizens, not merely agitators. They are Founders." --Kathleen Sullivan, Tulsa Law Review

"One of the great virtues of Beaumont's historical investigation is to illustrate how even judicially enforceable textual clauses are more fully understood by way of the Civic Constitution." --George Thomas, Constitutional Commentary

"[A] vibrant and in some ways path-setting work of scholarship, and it stands as an important contribution to the literature on constitutionalism and American political development." --Steven Lichtman, Law and Politics Book Review

"[U]rges scholars to embrace complexity in the answers we seek, and ordinary citizens to keep alive the possibility of reinvention." --Robert Tsai, Contemporary Political Theory

"Emancipating civic founders from oblivion and regaining for them a place in cofounding along with legal founders is the valuable contribution of this excellent and rich work, which draws upon multiple disciplinary domains. The meaning of Beaumont's project is hugely relevant to students of democratic politics." --Nadia Urbinati, Perspectives on Politics