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The Presidents and the Constitution: A Living History
In this sweepingly ambitious volume, the nation s foremost experts on the American presidency and the U.S. Constitution join together to tell the intertwined stories of how each American president has confronted and shaped the Constitution. Each occupant of the office the first president to the forty-fourth has contributed to the story of the Constitution through the decisions he made and the actions he took as the nation s chief executive.By examining presidential history through the lens of constitutional conflicts and challenges, The Presidents and the Constitution offers a fresh perspective on how the Constitution has evolved in the hands of individual presidents. It delves into key moments in American history, from Washington s early battles with Congress to the advent of the national security presidency under George W. Bush and Barack Obama, to reveal the dramatic historical forces that drove these presidents to action. Historians and legal experts, including Richard Ellis, Gary Hart, Stanley Kutler and Kenneth Starr, bring the Constitution to life, and show how the awesome powers of the American presidency have been shapes by the men who were granted them. The book brings to the fore the overarching constitutional themes that span this country s history and ties together presidencies in a way never before accomplished.Exhaustively researched and compellingly presented, The Presidents and the Constitution shines new light on America s brilliant constitutional and presidential history. "
672 pages, Hardcover
Published May 10, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 5, 2016
Quite An Amazing Book! Quite an amazing book. Long, thorough, scholarly, very interesting. A look at how each of our American Presidents has viewed the Constitution and how it can be used to expand Presidential power. How the Congress and the Courts have viewed a President's interpretations, and how they pushed back when they felt a President was over-reaching. And, sometimes, how a President watched as the Congress and the Courts have curbed his powers. It was interesting to read how all the Presidents have tested the Constitution against their interpretations. It's not just a modern thing, it's been all through our history. I found the latest (since 1960) several President's interpretations the most interesting, as that is the period that I have lived in myself.I will be closely following this years Presidential election with an eye towards how each of the candidates reveals him/herself as to their opinions on the Presidential powers.
April 24, 2016
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ken Gormley, and NYU Press for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with this review.
Ken Gormley edits this compendium of short historical summaries that permit the reader to better understand the forty-four presidents (Cleveland's two non-consecutive terms are treated as two, rather than one presidency) that have taken up office in the United States and the connection they had to the U.S. Constitution. As a collection of authors present, the Constitution was not simply a document that oversaw these administrations, but acted as a thread to connect them, as well as to guide these men in the daily task of overseeing America. While no two presidents were alike, neither were the struggles or victories they had with the Constitution, as each interpreted the rules by which they had to abide in unique ways. In numerous chapters, the author will also exemplify the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of key cases that shaped the presidency or the delivery of laws by the president, sometimes expanding on powers and at other times curtailing them significantly. Placing each presidency in a historical context and then overlaying the constitutional hurdles before them, these authors summarize events in a cogent manner while giving the lay reader a better understanding of how America has progressed through more than two centuries of constitutional evolution. A stellar primer for anyone interested in presidential politics and constitutional law, without the highly technical legal jargon to muddy the waters.
Gormley has not only gathered a wonderful collection of authors to pen poignant chapters about each of the American presidents, he also offers a powerful argument to show that the U.S. Constitution is a living document whose interpretation varied throughout the country's history. While there are threads seen throughout the collection, as Gormley presents in the conclusion, there are also numerous instances where presidents have used precedents set by their predecessors to shape their own ideas and desires while running the country. While a constitution is the set of rules by which the country governs itself, the nuances found therein require insight higher than the political leader of the country. Enter the U.S. Supreme Court, whose voice echoes through all the chapters in the collection. Gormley has ensured that all those who have contributed have kept the Court's presence known and clear to the reader. Be it to uphold, dismantle, or interpret laws, the Court does not shy away from colouring the discussion, nor should it. No book on the constitutionality of forty-four presidents would be complete without a peppering of judicial interpretation. Gormley has done a wonderful job, so much so that a non-American like me (albeit with a strong passion for politics and constitutions) cannot say enough about this collection.
Kudos, Mr. Gormley for this wonderful collection. I hope that many take the time to better understand the nuances of the American presidencies and the constitution that reined them in.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Ken Gormley edits this compendium of short historical summaries that permit the reader to better understand the forty-four presidents (Cleveland's two non-consecutive terms are treated as two, rather than one presidency) that have taken up office in the United States and the connection they had to the U.S. Constitution. As a collection of authors present, the Constitution was not simply a document that oversaw these administrations, but acted as a thread to connect them, as well as to guide these men in the daily task of overseeing America. While no two presidents were alike, neither were the struggles or victories they had with the Constitution, as each interpreted the rules by which they had to abide in unique ways. In numerous chapters, the author will also exemplify the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of key cases that shaped the presidency or the delivery of laws by the president, sometimes expanding on powers and at other times curtailing them significantly. Placing each presidency in a historical context and then overlaying the constitutional hurdles before them, these authors summarize events in a cogent manner while giving the lay reader a better understanding of how America has progressed through more than two centuries of constitutional evolution. A stellar primer for anyone interested in presidential politics and constitutional law, without the highly technical legal jargon to muddy the waters.
Gormley has not only gathered a wonderful collection of authors to pen poignant chapters about each of the American presidents, he also offers a powerful argument to show that the U.S. Constitution is a living document whose interpretation varied throughout the country's history. While there are threads seen throughout the collection, as Gormley presents in the conclusion, there are also numerous instances where presidents have used precedents set by their predecessors to shape their own ideas and desires while running the country. While a constitution is the set of rules by which the country governs itself, the nuances found therein require insight higher than the political leader of the country. Enter the U.S. Supreme Court, whose voice echoes through all the chapters in the collection. Gormley has ensured that all those who have contributed have kept the Court's presence known and clear to the reader. Be it to uphold, dismantle, or interpret laws, the Court does not shy away from colouring the discussion, nor should it. No book on the constitutionality of forty-four presidents would be complete without a peppering of judicial interpretation. Gormley has done a wonderful job, so much so that a non-American like me (albeit with a strong passion for politics and constitutions) cannot say enough about this collection.
Kudos, Mr. Gormley for this wonderful collection. I hope that many take the time to better understand the nuances of the American presidencies and the constitution that reined them in.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 1, 2017
The framers of this nation created a document with no parallel in world history, with the intent that the president of the United States would be neither a king or a sovereign, but the servant and protector of a higher authority: the Constitution. However, one cannot expect a document containing only 4543 words to cover the entire spectrum of government. Regarding the presidency's powers and responsibilities, it actually has little to say, and (let's be honest here) part of its language is not quite clear. Therefore, some of the contours of this high office had to be sketched out in real time, evolving as each presidency understood and applied it. Every chapter in this book was written by a different scholar with the purpose of highlighting the interactions of the commander in chief and the other two branches of government, Congress and the a Supreme Court, as prescribed in the Constitution. You may be surprised to find out that the distinction of powers is at times blurry and difficult to distinguish. For instance, only Congress can declare war but the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces. Who then has ultimate control of the military? The Commerce Clause gives Congress broad powers, but does not implicitly denies the president from launching legislative initiatives himself. The Supreme Court has the final say on whether a law is constitutional or not, but is up to the president whether to enforce it or not. The Constitution gives the president veto powers, but does not specify if that power is limitless; it also sets a presidential term of four years and no more, but is silent about the amount of reelections a president is allowed; it declares that in case the president cannot fulfill his duties the Vice President would take his place, but does not specify if the Vice President is supposed to actually become the new president or if he just takes the duties without the office until a new one is elected. All of these things and more had to be duked out in the course of time. Court decisions, Congressional laws, and Presidential policies have enriched the Constitution, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to shape the direction of this great nation.
September 6, 2017
Donald Trump is not the first President to be involved in thorny constitutional issues. However, his Presidency may very well stem the tide or even reverse the trend toward the imperial presidency that began in the 19th Century and accelerated during the progressive era and later.
Since the Presidency of George Washington, it has been the Presidents themselves who have defined the powers delegated to them in Article 2 of the United States Constitution. They have pushed the limits and challenged the boundaries of the powers given to them by the framers in 1787. Sometimes they succeeded and sometimes the Supreme Court pushed back and held their actions unconstitutional.
With few exceptions, each President responded to the events and issues of their time by pushing and testing Presidential power. That power peaked and some would say became “imperial” during the Presidencies of George W. Bush and Barak Obama. However, each administration left its mark on how to interpret the boundaries of executive power. The current “imperial presidency” is the result of the history of the Presidency and the people who held the office from the beginning.
“The Presidents and the Constitution: A Living History” by Ken Gormley is the authoritative source for understanding the intersection between presidential history and the Constitution. This great book is filled with information that serves as a footnote to Article Two of the Constitution. It places the use of presidential powers in historical context and shows how the powers of the president and the Constitution evolved over time to the way we know it today.
Each chapter of the book not only features a different president, but is also written by a different author. Gromley delegates the task of analyzing each administration’s interpretation of presidential power to those most familiar with the subject. Authors range from historians to judges to journalists. Notable names include Richard Ellis, Gary Hart, Stanley Kutler, and Kenneth Starr.
While each chapter delves into the individual challenges faced by each president, the unifying themes are readily apparent. For instance, although the presidencies of George Washington and Barak Obama occurred centuries apart, both engaged in fierce Congress over the boundaries of executive power.
This book should be on everyone’s reading list. It is a must read for anyone interested in history or law and it is the essential footnote to Article 2 of the United States Constitution.
My complete review is at http://donaldscarinci.com/review-pres...
Since the Presidency of George Washington, it has been the Presidents themselves who have defined the powers delegated to them in Article 2 of the United States Constitution. They have pushed the limits and challenged the boundaries of the powers given to them by the framers in 1787. Sometimes they succeeded and sometimes the Supreme Court pushed back and held their actions unconstitutional.
With few exceptions, each President responded to the events and issues of their time by pushing and testing Presidential power. That power peaked and some would say became “imperial” during the Presidencies of George W. Bush and Barak Obama. However, each administration left its mark on how to interpret the boundaries of executive power. The current “imperial presidency” is the result of the history of the Presidency and the people who held the office from the beginning.
“The Presidents and the Constitution: A Living History” by Ken Gormley is the authoritative source for understanding the intersection between presidential history and the Constitution. This great book is filled with information that serves as a footnote to Article Two of the Constitution. It places the use of presidential powers in historical context and shows how the powers of the president and the Constitution evolved over time to the way we know it today.
Each chapter of the book not only features a different president, but is also written by a different author. Gromley delegates the task of analyzing each administration’s interpretation of presidential power to those most familiar with the subject. Authors range from historians to judges to journalists. Notable names include Richard Ellis, Gary Hart, Stanley Kutler, and Kenneth Starr.
While each chapter delves into the individual challenges faced by each president, the unifying themes are readily apparent. For instance, although the presidencies of George Washington and Barak Obama occurred centuries apart, both engaged in fierce Congress over the boundaries of executive power.
This book should be on everyone’s reading list. It is a must read for anyone interested in history or law and it is the essential footnote to Article 2 of the United States Constitution.
My complete review is at http://donaldscarinci.com/review-pres...
May 8, 2019
This is an ensemble piece, with scholars of all stripes doing individual explorations on each president and then a final chapter discussing unifying themes and trends. I'm fully guilty of that syndrome where you know Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, Ummm de dummm, Lincoln, Hmm hmm hmm, Roosevelt, Ummm, Roosevelt again, Cleveland's in there twice somewhere... This book helped a lot to establish identities behind the head of each administration, up to the Obama administration. It's also, at thirty dollars plus, the most I've spent on an ebook so far. And a worthwhile investment. I'd thought it would be more about the Supreme Court (and I'm still on the look out for that book) so I was a little disappointed at first, but this is just as rich and textured, and as much of a learning experience as I'd hoped.
December 29, 2017
Excellent book on the subject. It is a great short history of each of the presidents, with the major emphasis being on how they interpreted the constitution and how they affected the constitution for later presidents. So much of the modern political news cycle consists of what the president can and cannot do, how they may be overstepping their bounds. Well this has been going on since the very beginning. This book gives us this same look into all of the previous presidents. Books like this make me more optimistic about our present and future. Our country has survived some poor presidents and some scandalous affairs. There is nothing unique to our times. This book gives us an excellent reminder of that.
September 22, 2017
First of all, this book can easily act as a quick guide through the history of the United States, since obviously the story of the Constitution and the stories of the 44 US Presidents and the story of the country are completely interwoven and inseparable.
Second, it definitely gives you an interesting perspective on a state of the balance of power between judicial, executive and legislative branches, how they were and are playing the endless "tug of war"
Third, if you believe that the 45th president is something special, like especially outrageous, especially dividing, especially stupid and unfit... well, you're in for a ride. The history repeats itself and not just once. We've been at all of those 'special' points before.
Second, it definitely gives you an interesting perspective on a state of the balance of power between judicial, executive and legislative branches, how they were and are playing the endless "tug of war"
Third, if you believe that the 45th president is something special, like especially outrageous, especially dividing, especially stupid and unfit... well, you're in for a ride. The history repeats itself and not just once. We've been at all of those 'special' points before.
September 3, 2018
This should be essential reading for all Con Law or Presidential focused class. An easy to digest, informative, and fascinating read that offers even the seemingly innocuous presidents insight into the ramifications their term had on interpreting the law of the land in America.
December 22, 2019
Very well done. I learned a great amount
September 28, 2016
This is an Outstanding Book! The different authors for the essays about the impact of the Constitution on a President and that President's impact on the Constitution do a marvelous job at keeping the monograph both short and informative. Mr. Gormley does a great job in introducing the purpose and structure of the Edition and an excellent summary of the collective impacts of our Presidents on or by the Constitution. The real benefit to this book is the interest it peaks in Presidents often overlooked or mostly forgotten in history. James Tyler for example was the first Vice President to assume the Presidency upon the death of President William Henry Harrison. To Tyler we owe the succession of the VP to be President rather than acting or interim President. Great reading.
March 23, 2016
Over the last year or so I've become really interested in reading books about how presidencies and elections have morphed over the centuries. I also have a love of reading about constitutional interpretation and the way SCOTUS operates. So, needless to say, this was all the way up my alley, and it didn't disappoint.
The book is essentially a collection of essays on each POTUS written by various authors but edited with an eye of making a cohesive whole. The editors did an amazing job making sure everything melded together nicely; there are only a few spots where I could spot a different voice bleeding through. My only problem was with a few of the essays seeming to go into issues that didn't feel strictly speaking "constitutional", as well as skipping over the majority of the amendments. But that aside, the writing was superb.
I won't go into all of my thoughts on the various presidents and their interfacing with the constitution, but I will say that I learned a few things.
- I had always thought the realm of the president was more... Concrete than it actually is. It's a much more nebulous idea that is constantly evolving as each new POTUS comes into office and makes their mark.
- The separation of powers is a huge theme from the beginning to now, as well as the provence of federalism and states rights. This should really go without saying, but reading about these terms of office back to back, it's easier to see how important these questions are to our government working "properly".
- The presidents power to appoint federal officials has been under contest for just as long. This one was a bit more of a surprise to me, as I hadn't realized how many damn cases had gotten to SCOTUS about it. Like, damn. Just let the man appoint some people.
- My last takeaway was the most unexpected: Gerald Ford was pretty amazing. At least in how he handled the immediate post-Nixon presidency, and managing to not let Congress run roughshod in taking away executive powers. He's the next bio I want to read. Didn't see that coming.
I definitely enjoyed this book, although be warned that it is loooong. If you are really interested in the POTUS, SCOTUS, and the way the constitution has been viewed and interpreted over the years in a board perspective, then this is a good book to pick up. It's well written and not dry like some histories can be which makes it all the more enjoyable.
Copy courtesy of NYU Press, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book is essentially a collection of essays on each POTUS written by various authors but edited with an eye of making a cohesive whole. The editors did an amazing job making sure everything melded together nicely; there are only a few spots where I could spot a different voice bleeding through. My only problem was with a few of the essays seeming to go into issues that didn't feel strictly speaking "constitutional", as well as skipping over the majority of the amendments. But that aside, the writing was superb.
I won't go into all of my thoughts on the various presidents and their interfacing with the constitution, but I will say that I learned a few things.
- I had always thought the realm of the president was more... Concrete than it actually is. It's a much more nebulous idea that is constantly evolving as each new POTUS comes into office and makes their mark.
- The separation of powers is a huge theme from the beginning to now, as well as the provence of federalism and states rights. This should really go without saying, but reading about these terms of office back to back, it's easier to see how important these questions are to our government working "properly".
- The presidents power to appoint federal officials has been under contest for just as long. This one was a bit more of a surprise to me, as I hadn't realized how many damn cases had gotten to SCOTUS about it. Like, damn. Just let the man appoint some people.
- My last takeaway was the most unexpected: Gerald Ford was pretty amazing. At least in how he handled the immediate post-Nixon presidency, and managing to not let Congress run roughshod in taking away executive powers. He's the next bio I want to read. Didn't see that coming.
I definitely enjoyed this book, although be warned that it is loooong. If you are really interested in the POTUS, SCOTUS, and the way the constitution has been viewed and interpreted over the years in a board perspective, then this is a good book to pick up. It's well written and not dry like some histories can be which makes it all the more enjoyable.
Copy courtesy of NYU Press, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2016
This book is quite simply fascinating. I enjoyed how each President was featured by a different author. Editor Ken Gormley point out that the authors selected to write each chapter are experts uniquely suited to provide meaningful analysis on each president. They are historians, political scientists, judges, legal scholars, and journalists who rank among the nation's leading presidential experts.
The book provides a very thorough look at how each President of the United States has viewed, interpreted, and contributed to the Constitution. In addition, we are also given a look at how Congress and the Supreme Court have viewed and interpreted the President's interpretations. Very fascinating indeed. The book is long (almost 700 pages) and scholarly, but it is also engaging and very well written.
Jimmy Carter was President when I was born, so naturally I found the more recent material in the book to be the most interesting and relevant to me, namely the Reagan-Bush-Clinton-Bush era. I am by no means a history buff, but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will likely have a copy on my shelf for quick reference. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in presidential history, the Constitution, or the Supreme Court. I received this as a free ARC from NYU Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book provides a very thorough look at how each President of the United States has viewed, interpreted, and contributed to the Constitution. In addition, we are also given a look at how Congress and the Supreme Court have viewed and interpreted the President's interpretations. Very fascinating indeed. The book is long (almost 700 pages) and scholarly, but it is also engaging and very well written.
Jimmy Carter was President when I was born, so naturally I found the more recent material in the book to be the most interesting and relevant to me, namely the Reagan-Bush-Clinton-Bush era. I am by no means a history buff, but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will likely have a copy on my shelf for quick reference. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in presidential history, the Constitution, or the Supreme Court. I received this as a free ARC from NYU Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2023
This great book discusses the constitutional legacy of each President from George Washington to Barrack Obama. From their Supreme Court appointments to the challenges each faced every President has confronted and shaped the Constitution.
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January 5, 2019Excellent read. Covers all Presidents from Washington to Obama
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews