Carl Friedrich: the Best Political Order and the Science of Democracy

The legacy of Carl Joachim Friedrich is far greater than is usually acknowledged. Well known among political scientists mostly for his works on totalitarian political systems, his studies ranged from the development of the modern state to constitutionalism, from federalism to international politics. He also focused a good deal on political theory and concept analysis. His wide-ranging scientific interests were rooted in his commitment to democracy, as were his collaboration with the American government, and his decades-long effort to establishing institutions and educational curricula aimed at founding and spreading a ‘science of democracy’. His long and parallel careers as scientist, teacher and consultant at the highest level, as well as organiser in the field of education, evolved between the 1920s and the 1960s, between Germany and the USA, spanning the experiences of the Weimar Republic and its crisis, the rise of National Socialism, World War II and the Cold War.