The Presidency and the Challenge of Democracy (The Evolving American Presidency)

It is clear that the tectonic plates of the American political system are gravitating towards a model of presidential government not envisioned and, in fact, precluded by the constitutional design of the framers of the United States Constitution. As the presidency eclipses Congress and the courts in power, and public/media attention, the balance of powers has tilted. In this accessible book, leading scholars explore the reasons for and implications of the rising power of the presidency. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Notes on Contributors......Page 12 One: Is the Presidency Dangerous to Democracy?......Page 16 Two: From Presidential Wars to American Hegemony: The Constitution After 9/11......Page 38 Three: Guarding the Parchment Barrier: The Attorney General and Presidential Power in Wartime......Page 68 Four: The Constitutional Checks and Balances that Neither Check Nor Balance......Page 88 Five: The Commander in Chief Power and Constitutional Invention in the Bush Administration......Page 108 Six: The President Over the Public: The Plebiscitary Presidency at Center Stage......Page 134 Seven: Who Makes U.S. Foreign Policy? Presidential Leadership in Gulf Wars I and II......Page 154 Eight: The President as King: The Usurpation of War and Foreign Affairs Powers in the Modern Age......Page 174 Nine: Conclusion: The American Presidency in a Post 9/11 World......Page 206 C......Page 216 G......Page 217 L......Page 218 P......Page 219 T......Page 220 Z......Page 221 The rise of presidential power poses a significant threat to America's democratic values. As the presidency apparently eclipses Congress, the courts in power, and public/media attention, the balance of powers has tilted. In this accessible book, leading scholars explore the reasons for and implications of the rising power of the presidency. It is clear that the tectonic plates of the American political system are gravitating towards a model of presidential government not envisioned and, in fact, precluded by the constitutional design of the framers of the United States Constitution. As the presidency eclipses Congress and the courts in power, and public/media attention, the balance of powers has tilted. In this accessible book, leading scholars explore the reasons for and implications of the rising power of the presidency The rise of presidential power poses a significant threat to America's democratic values. It is clear that the lectonic plates of the American political system are gravitating towards a model of presidential government not envisioned and, in fact, precluded by the constitutional design of the framers of the United States Constitution. As the presidency eclipses Congress and the courts in its power and attention from the media and public, the balance of powers tilts. In this accessible book, leading scholars explore the reasons for and implications of the rising power of the presidency