John E. Finn

Professor Emeritus of Government, Wesleyan University
John E. Finn is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Government at Wesleyan University, where he taught courses in constitutional theory and public law, as well as in cuisine and popular culture.

Finn’s newest book, Fracturing the Founding: How the Alt-Right Corrupts the Constitution, is available here: Fracturing the Founding.

Finn’s book on the history, philosophy, and meaning of omelets, including recipes, The Perfect Omelet, is available in hard copy or Kindle and can be ordered (preferably) through your local book store, through Amazon and other major booksellers, or at theperfectomelet.com

Finn is also the author of three other books on constitutional theory and law: Peopling the Constitution (2014), American Constitutional Law: Essays, Cases, and Comparative Notes 4th ed. (with Donald P. Kommers, Gary J. Jacobsohn, George Thomas, and Justin Dyer, 2018), and Constitutions in Crisis: Political Violence and the Rule of Law (1991). Finn has also published in several law reviews, including the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, Constitutional Commentary, New York University Journal of Law and International Politics, and Georgetown Law Journal.

Finn is an internationally recognized expert on constitutional theory, the rule of law and political violence, and the First Amendment. His public lectures include testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, as well as lectures in Bolivia, Canada, Chile, England, France, Italy, and Spain.

Finn’s scholarship and writing in the field of food studies lay at the intersection of food, recipes, and politics. His published works in food studies include “How Does a Recipe Mean,” in Table Matters: A Journal of Food, Drink, and Manners (2016), an entry on “Measurements,” in The Oxford Companion to Sweets, ed. Darra Goldstein (2015), an essay on Julia Child in Gastronomica (2007), and articles on “The Perfect Recipe,” (2011) and “The Kitchen Voice as Confessional,” (2004) in Food, Culture & Society.

Professor Finn earned his B.A. in Political Science from Nasson College, a J.D. from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Princeton University. He also has a degree from the French Culinary Institute.

Finn is the recipient of five distinguished teaching awards at Wesleyan University.