The American Presidency: An Intellectual History

Rating:
Summary: Great at the Creation, Dubious in the Present
Review: After taking a class at the U of Alabama, a friend recommended this book to me. She had had Dr. McDonald as a professor and was impressed. I picked up a copy, and I too was impressed. Why don't they teach this stuff in high school was my initial reaction. Sure, this book is scholarly and complex, but every American should know the concepts and facts Dr. McDonald discusses in this book.

Also, the book is not just dry facts, figures, or theories. For me it was entertaining to learn new things about our founding fathers, their sources for ideas, how those ideas were implemented, and in some cases how they have been subverted.

In short: This is history/political science at its best.

Rating:
Summary: Great at the Creation, Dubious in the Present
Review: Prof. McDonald clearly knows his 18th century stuff. The bulk of this book is solidly grounded in his earlier work on the Constitutional convention, the framers, and the early presidents (especially George Washington). But his later discussion of the growth of the presidency is much less well linked to current literature or with historical fact. So: a must read for the "intellectual origins" parts of the book, but much less essential for the present day. For that, try Richard Pious' or Tom Cronin's work.

Rating:
Summary: Cohesive First Half; Arbitrary Second Half
Review: Professor McDonald marginally develops the intellectual foundation for the presidency and produces soundly researched insights into the presidencies of Washington and Jefferson, but the book cascades into a morass of arbitrary research and shallow analysis in the second half.

His treatment of early philosophical underpinnings for a presidential-type leader is overly long is not well-connected with the actual thoughts and writings of the founders, but his attempt is admirable. The book reaches its height in the examination of the presidencies of Washington and Jefferson, particularly with regard to Jefferson. McDonald describes Jefferson as an astute molder of presidential authority, especially in relation to a quasi-legislative role with Congress and with regard to international relations.

In the last half of the book, however, McDonald turns rather cavalier in his research and arbitrary in his conclusions. Mostly secondary research is selectively presented and arguments are developed with little depth. Most alarmingly for a seasoned and well-regarded historian, his partisanship is scarcely veiled. He defends Nixon as a sympathetic foreign affairs wizard who tried to reign in an irresponsible Congress, but fell prey to a shallow and vindictive press. While a full treatment of Nixon is hardly within the boundaries of this book, Nixon's self-induced problems and serious attempts at Constitutional disruption are embarrassingly not discussed. Additionally, his unabashed admiration for Reagan, while blaming Congress for huge budget deficits and while indicting both a partisan Congress and the press for exaggerating the Iran-Contra affair, displays a lack of judicious and rigorous analysis.

Not a waste of time, but not satisfactory either.

Rating:
Summary: The American Presidency: Then and Now
Review: The American Presidency is like no other institution in the world and as evolved precariously from its heyday in 1787. Forrest McDonald focuses on the first few years of the Presidency. he then correlates modern developments and the expansion of the executive state coupled with the rise of the so called fourth branch of government, the bureaucracy. McDonald is somewhat of a conservative, but often withholds judgment on , though refrains from the enthusiastic lust for power and centralization that liberal historians like Arthur Schlesinger seem to have. (I give this book a 3.5/5.0 rating.) I recommend purchasing this book in tandem with _Reassessing the Presidency : The Rise of the Executive State and the Decline of Freedom_ from the Ludwig von Mises Institute.

Rating:
Summary: The American Presidency: An Intellectual History
Review: The American Presidency: An Intellectual History written by Forrest McDonald is a book with incisive analysis of political ideas which are found in the characteristics involving the Presidency of the United States. This book is well founded in the history and is solid in early hystory.

The presidency is given a thorough thought-provoking, with historical review, going over... leaving the reader with insight into the institution of the presidency. We are guided with a shrewd sense of political reality, making us understand what the presidency is all about. Reading this book will open up and give us an erudite exanination of the roots of the American presidency... so much so, that you'll feel history come alive and jump right in your lap.

I particularly found the writing on the Washington and Jefferson presidencies to be of great value as the author shows us how these men distinguished the office and made important contributions to our constitutional history. The reader finds out about the awesome responsibilities combined with unique opportunities to persuade others to do their bidding.

In truth, presidentual power is complex and ambiguous, traits that stem from the constitutional provisions for the office... the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States according to Article 2 of the Constitution... unequivocally. This book is well documented and is written in a masterful narritive, but is easily understood. I found that the early work to be indispensable as the ground work is set and the office is determined. Though the restraints and limits are necessary, they are not, in the nature of things, susceptible to delineation and definition.

As the book progresses on in the life of the presidency we see the individual personallities of the men who served in to office begin to shape the outcome of the office. Making scupulous adherence to written law, self-preservation, and the safety of the nation all interplay in the balance of power between the different branches of the constitutional government.

If you really want to know more about the presidency, look no further as this books gives the reader an illuminating insight with theoretical background of the presidency. this is a very informative and fascinating book.