Between Authority and Usurpation? Common Good and Constitutional Government.

This article critically examines Adrian Vermeule's book *Common Good Constitutionalism*, focusing on its treatment of authority, usurpation, and the nature of constitutional government. Vermeule advocates a classical tradition of constitutionalism that prioritizes the common good as the object of government and supports strong, lawful authority exercised for that good, contrasting with liberal constitutionalism's emphasis on political fairness and pluralism. While the article acknowledges Vermeule's compelling philosophy of government, it critiques his reliance on Ronald Dworkin's legal reasoning theory, arguing that it undermines the classical tradition's emphasis on legislative authority and the rule of law. The discussion further explores the scope of the common good, collective agency, and the contingency of constitutional arrangements, emphasizing that lawful authority should be maintained and usurpation avoided, with constitutional government ideally commanding popular support through representative institutions.