John E. Finn

John E. Finn is Professor of Government Emeritus at Wesleyan University, where he taught for thirty years. Finn currently resides in Corea, Maine.

Finn holds a Ph.D. in political science from Princeton University, a J.D. from Georgetown University, a B.A. in political science from Nasson College, and a degree in culinary arts from the French Culinary Institute. His scholarly writing focuses on constitutional theory, comparative constitutional law, the first amendment, and the legal regulation of terrorism and political violence.

Finn’s public lectures include testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, as well as lectures in Chile, Bolivia, Spain, Italy, Canada, England, and France.

Finn is the author of four highly regarded books on the American Constitution: Fracturing the Founding: How the Alt-Right Corrupts the Constitution (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), Peopling the Constitution (Kansas, 2014), American Constitutional Law: Essays, Cases, and Comparative Notes 4th ed. (coauthor, West Academic Publishing, 2018), and Constitutions in Crisis: Political Violence and the Rule of Law (Oxford, 1991).  

Finn’s writing also extends to food, recipes, and politics. He is the author of The Perfect Omelet (Countryman, 2017), and several essays and articles, including “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.

Finn is a dynamic speaker and has won several awards for outstanding teaching. He has fashioned two very successful courses on the Constitution for The Great Courses Company, which selects the nation’s best college and university professors to teach courses on DVD and CD. Descriptions and reviews of Finn’s courses are located here: Civil Liberties and the Bill of Rights; The First Amendment. 

Finn has spoken at the Culinary Institute of America and the New England Culinary Institute, as well as at Molly O’Neill’s LongHouse Food Revival. He has also lectured on food and popular culture in France and Italy.

Finn also frequently speaks to popular audiences, often demonstrating the art of omelet making.

Finn is currently working on two new cookbooks.