In this important and original book, J. Richard Piper provides the most comprehensive examination to date of the profound impact of ideological prescriptions on twentieth century American politics. Piper analyzes the institutional and constitutional developments associated with the American conservative-liberal paradigm from the New Deal to the present, focusing on constitutional jurisprudence, presidential-congressional relations, the role of the judiciary, federalism, and the administrative state. Concluding that America's competing constitutional philosophies frequently serve not as ends in themselves but as instruments for attaining power and policy goals, Piper raises significant questions about the future of the conservative-liberal dichotomy that has characterized American politics since the New Deal. Ideologies and Institutions is unique in its focus on institutional prescriptions and its integration and synthesis of extensive history, political science, and sociology literature. Anyone interested in constitutional issues, political history, and the distinctions between the liberal and conservative philosophies will find Ideologies and Institutions valuable.