The American Presidency

The American Presidency examines the constitutional foundation of the executive office and the social, economic, political, and international forces that have reshaped it along with the influence individual presidents have had across history.

The American Presidency examines the constitutional foundation of the executive office and the social, economic, political, and international forces that have reshaped it along with the influence individual presidents have had. Authors Sidney Milkis and Michael Nelson look at each presidency broadly, focusing on how individual presidents have sought to navigate the complex and ever-changing terrain of the executive office and revealing the major developments that launched a modern presidency at the dawn of the twentieth century. By connecting presidential conduct to the defining eras of American history and the larger context of politics and government in the United States, this award-winning book offers perspective and insight on the limitations and possibilities of presidential power.

Chapter 1 The Constitutional Convention
Chapter 2 Creating the Presidency
Chapter 3 Bringing the Constitutional Presidency to Life: George Washington and John Adams
Chapter 4 The Triumph of Jeffersonianism
Chapter 5 The Age of Jackson
Chapter 6 The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln
Chapter 7 The Reaction against Presidential Power: Andrew Johnson to William McKinley
Chapter 8 Progressive Politics and Executive Power: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson
Chapter 9 The Triumph of Conservative Republicanism
Chapter 10 The Consolidation of the Modern Presidency: Franklin D. Roosevelt to Dwight D. Eisenhower
Chapter 11 Personalizing the Presidency: John F. Kennedy to Jimmy Carter
Chapter 12 A Restoration of Presidential Power?: Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton
Chapter 13 George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Unilateral Presidential Power
Chapter 14 Trump, Biden, and the Struggle for a Peaceful Transfer of Power
Chapter 15 The Vice Presidency