"Principle and compromise"Is a very good academic monograph, published in 2000, the first edition, published in 2005 second edition, the following brief second edition.

    The book on the evolution of American constitutional development in the past 400 years, made a coherent and substance through the narrative, from the beginning of seventeenth Century the North American colonies of origin to the end of twentieth Century span narrative, the origin and change of important concepts and principles USA constitution, dynamic, mechanism, analysis USA constitutional changes the form and results. The author thinks, we only have to USA constitutional history to obtain a clear and accurate understanding, can objectively and insightful comments about its advantages and disadvantages, finally understand and grasp contains to the Americans and Chinese historical enlightenment.

   The author, USA constitution is America early multi interest group negotiation and compromise; political mechanism is also a benefit of negotiation and compromise constitution founded by USA; in more than two hundred years of history, different interest groups because of changing historical environment, constitutional mechanism derived by constitution, the definition and positioning the various interests and federal "public interests", to negotiate and compromise a continual; negotiation and compromise the constitutional principles and practice of old are modified, the new constitutional principles and practice to produce, the constitution vitality constantly updated, showing a "stability", become a "the living constitution".

   Author points out at the same time, because the negotiation and compromise is the central content of USA constitutionalism, negotiations for the reformation and counter reformation strength while providing the opportunity, so even if is to promote the progressive significance is obvious and the overall development of the American extremely favorable reform, also could not accomplish at one stroke, must after hard negotiation, and successful results are often associated with the predetermined targets.

   Author Wang Xi of Columbia University, American American Dr. Shi, Professor of history at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2005-2011 was hired as the Changjiang Scholar professor of History Department of Peking University. Teaching and research areas include the nineteenth Century American history, civil war and reconstruction, American black history, American constitutional history, USA system development. Writing andThe Trial of Democracy: Black Suffrage and Northern Republicans, 1860-1910(1997) and dozens of papers in the main English, he has Eric Foner "USA free story" (2002, 2003) and "give me liberty! A America history "(2010).