Customer Reviews

Presidential Problems

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As a student of American history, I found "Presidential Problems" by Grover Cleveland to be an enjoyable treat. The book is hardly flawless, of course; the prose (much like the rest of President Cleveland's writing and rhetoric) tends toward the monotonous style used by many nineteenth-century attorneys, and the material itself wastes a valuable opportunity to plumb the mind of its subject (unlike the great presidential memoirs of men like Ulysses Grant and William Clinton). Nevertheless, it effectively and often captivatingly explores four of the subjects that were grappled with by one of our nation's most underappreciated Chief Executives (the reassertion of Executive prerogatives through the repeal of the Tenure of Office Act, the government intervention in the Pullman Strike of 1894, the selling of bonds as a means of extricating our nation from the depression of 1893-1897, and the first significant flexing of American military muscle during the Venezuela Boundary Crisis). In doing this, it helps the reader understand how S. Grover Cleveland strengthened the office of the presidency, brought integrity back to an institution that had been corrupted since 1869, sought to apply a political philosophy that could best be described as proto-libertarian, attempted to deal with some of the nascent issues that arose as America left behind the prejudices of the Civil War era and began to focus on the issues of the Industrial Age, and overall left an indelible imprint on the White House during his eight years in power. I have always deemed it a shame that President Cleveland is best remembered for having served two inconsecutive terms; while this piece of trivia should serve as a fair indication of the success of his first administration, it is nevertheless a grave injustice that such an important historical figure should have settled into an undeserved obscurity. While this book may not be accessible to all, it is a must-read for anyone who wishes to learn more about the presidency - and especially from the perspective of one of that position's most important leaders.