The President and the Parties: The Transformation of the American Party System since the New Deal [Paperback]

Sidney M. Milkis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 019508425X | ISBN-13: 978-0195084252 | Publication Date: November 11, 1993

Presenting a new synthesis of twentieth-century American political development, The President and the Parties is the first text to examine closely the association between the chief executive and the two-party system. Placing parties in a broad historical context and shedding light on their connection to other parts of the American political system, Sidney Milkis argues that, beginning with the New Deal, reforms intended to liberate the chief executive from the shackles of partisan politics only weakened an already fragile relationship, isolating presidents from what was once popular and institutional support from their parties. Written for political science students at all levels, this comprehensive analysis covers a broad range of issues and events, including FDR's 1938 "Purge" of the Democratic Party, The Executive Reorganization Act of 1939, the legacy of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, and the triumph of executive centralization during the Reagan "Revolution." By providing a unique perspective on the elements of American government, Milkis offers new insights into the decline of the party system and the process that fashioned a stronger, more active national state, but one lacking in vital representative institutions capable of common deliberation and choice. Placing the issue in contemporary perspective, he warns of the challenges ahead for a nation struggling to repair its frayed connection between government and people.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Well written and thoroughly thought out, a good teaching text."--Donald Crumbley, Sr., Columbia College

"Excellent book... Milkis has accomplished a superb marriage of political history and social science explanation, and his book offers a fundamental explanation of the institutional politics of the modern presidency."--American Politics

"Well written and interesting, rich historical detail."--Henry Sirgo, McNeese State University

"The author's presentation of presidential politics in the U.S. is both balanced and insightful."--Robert Cropf, St. Louis University

"A useful, historical treatment of where the parties have been and where--if anywhere--they're going in the fractioned American political 'system'!"--Roger Hamburg, Indiana University at South Bend

"Professor Milkis obviously has done an enormous amount of research. This text would be good to use for upper level or graduate students."--David Robinson, University of Houston

"For anyone interested in how Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal shaped the American party system, this will be required reading. Milkis argues, convincingly, that Roosevelt made an eyes-open choice to build an administrative presidency rather than rule through party government."--David Mayhew, Yale University

"Milkis raises deeply disturbing questions about the implications of 'liberating the presidency' for promoting the degradation of American democracy....A book which deserves to be read. More than that, it should be given careful attention."--Walter Dean Burnham, University of Texas at Austin

"Shows how the growth of presidential power in the twentieth century created a politics of administration that has supplanted a vigorous party politics. This book will prove fascinating and indispensable reading for all who are concerned about the vitality of democratic institutions in the United States."--Margaret Weir, The Brookings Institution

"A masterful discussion of the origin and design of the administrative state and its consequences for the republic. No one sees the causes of our discontents more clearly than Milkis, and no one has a better idea of what it will take to revive democracy."--Wilson Carey McWilliams, Rutgers University

About the Author

Sidney M. Milkis is at Brandeis University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019508425X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195084252
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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