Locke or Spinoza: Who's better in a Crisis (of Modernity)?

The American Founding seems to reflect Spinozist principles, despite the fact that few of the Founders evince any real engagement with Spinoza's ideas. I argue that the surface-level similarities between the American regime and Spinoza's political ideal mask deep disagreements. The Lockeanism of the American Founding may in fact contain resources to ameliorate the crisis of modern liberal democracy that Spinoza would only intensify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]