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The Imperial Presidency Paperback – August 12, 2004
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From two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., comes one of the most important and influential investigations of the American presidency. The Imperial Presidency traces the growth of presidential power over two centuries, from George Washington to George W. Bush, examining how it has both served and harmed the Constitution and what Americans can do about it in years to come. The book that gave the phrase “imperial presidency” to the language, this is a work of “substantial scholarship written with lucidity, charm, and wit” (The New Yorker).
- Print length624 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateAugust 12, 2004
- Dimensions5.5 x 1.58 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-100618420010
- ISBN-13978-0618420018
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
ARTHUR M. SCHLESINGER, JR., the author of sixteen books, was a renowned historian and social critic. He twice won the Pulitzer Prize, in 1946 for The Age of Jackson and in 1966 for A Thousand Days. He was also the winner of the National Book Award for both A Thousand Days and Robert Kennedy and His Times (1979). In 1998 he was awarded the prestigious National Humanities Medal.
Product details
- Publisher : Mariner Books; Reprint edition (August 12, 2004)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 624 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0618420010
- ISBN-13 : 978-0618420018
- Item Weight : 1.26 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 1.58 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #201,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #332 in United States Executive Government
- #5,725 in United States History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Customers find the book well-written and informative. They also say it's superbly written and ably researched.
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Customers find the book superbly written, informative, and relevant. They also say it frames out food arguments and explanations. Readers also mention the author is one of the most respected historians in academics today.
"...written in the early 70s, with an update from the 80s, the book is very relevant and frames out food arguments and explanations...." Read more
"...While the analysis and theoretical stuff is fine in that the linkages seem more than plausible, someone should really update this work to take into..." Read more
"...now considered a history book, I found it very enlighening and informative...." Read more
"...It is well written and seems ably researched...." Read more
Customers find the writing style well written and ably researched.
"...It reads very easily and has that Schlesneger signature. I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in presidential history." Read more
"...Students of American history should enjoy this book. It is well written and seems ably researched...." Read more
"This was a superbly written an equally informative book" Read more
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While written in the early 70s, with an update from the 80s, the book is very relevant and frames out food arguments and explanations. Too often, too many people have a knee jerk reaction to current events and automatically have quick solutions. But these current problems have the same structure as older problems, and many so called solutions have been discussed and found inadequate to fix the problem.
Democracy should always be in contention. There should always be arguments and people trying to stop what others are trying to do. While difficult to accept and much easier if everyone just agreed, the debate and contention leads to ensuring that the right thing is done; that no unexpected issues arise; that we don't make the wrong turn.
The author hit the nail on the head when he said that a presidential crisis happens about every 50 years and predicted that 2023 would be around the time of the next one. He was almost spot on. And it leads to a better feeling that when that happens, the pendulum swings back the other way.
Democracy is a living thing and can change to meet the changes that occurs, so long as people keep in mind the foundation laid down by the Founding Fathers.
I recommend this book to historians and people really interested in Democracy and politics.
Slessenger does a pretty solid job of laying out the thought processes the Founders had for the Presidency and how power gradually became more consolidated in the hands of the President at the expense of Congress due to a large extent of Congressional indifference particularly as the system has grown complex. Slessenger goes further however into exploring how attempts by Congress to reassert systems of control in “their” areas of oversight have often failed to restore the delicate balancing act between the legislative and executive branch. There is some suggestion that partisanship only serves to consolidate more unclaimed powers in the hands of the presidency.
While the analysis and theoretical stuff is fine in that the linkages seem more than plausible, someone should really update this work to take into further account the forces of social media and 24 hour news cycle that have made “great” leaders out of a select handful of politicians and have given presidents an even greater megaphone. How have the patterns described in the Imperial Presidency changed? It would be easy to say they’ve accelerated, but how and why?
An interesting book on presidential power that needs an update.
His blog for November 7, 2012 made much reference to the Imperial Presidency, this Book, so I already know the Book well and am eager to read it all.
I was alive, working in the White House during the Kennedy Administration, and was cleared for Top Secret documents. Once I saw a top secret message written by Arthur M. Schlesinger.
It is no longer secret I'm sure, but the top secret classification of this message sent to President Kennedy, was "gold and money."
I didn't know Arthur well enough then to even read his stuff with care.






