The American Presidency: An Intellectual History

by Forrest McDonald

Jefferson Lecturer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Forrest McDonald is widely recognized as one of our most respected and challenging historians of the Constitution. He has been called brilliant, provocative, controversial, passionate, pugnacious, and crafty in intellectual combat. Whatever the label, he remains unsurpassed as a commentator on the American founding.

Novus Ordo Seclorum , his best-known work, was hailed as "magisterial," "a tour-de-force," "the American history book of the decade," "the best single book on the origins of the U.S. Constitution," and was featured on Bill Moyers's highly praised PBS series In Search of the Constitution . McDonald now applies his considerable talents to a study of another venerable institution-the American presidency.

Writing at the height of his powers as an intellectual historian, McDonald explores how and why the presidency has evolved into such a complex and powerful institution, unlike any other in the world. Scores of republics have come into existence during the last two centuries and many have adopted constitutions similar to our own. But, as McDonald persuasively shows, the American presidency is unique-no other nation has a leadership position that combines the seemingly incongruous roles of ceremonial head of state and chief executive magistrate.

Lacking an acceptable role model, McDonald explains, the founding fathers constructed their idea of the presidency from sources as diverse as the Bible, Machiavelli, John Locke, the Ancient Greeks and Romans, the laws of England, and the early colonial and state government experiences. So many influences, he suggests, guaranteed a substantial degree of persistent ambiguity and contradiction in the office.

McDonald chronicles the presidency's creation, implementation, and evolution and explains why it's still working today despite its many perceived afflictions. Along the way, he provides trenchant commentary upon the Constitutional Convention, ratification debates, presidencies of Washington and Jefferson, presidential administration and leadership, presidential-congressional conflicts, the president as chief architect of foreign policy, and the president as myth and symbol. He also analyzes the enormous gap between what we've come to expect of presidents and what they can reasonably hope to accomplish.

Ambitious, comprehensive, and engaging, this is the best single-volume study of an institution that has become troubled and somewhat troublesome yet, in McDonald's words, "has been responsible for less harm and more good than perhaps any other secular institution in history." It will make a fine and necessary companion for understanding the presidency as it moves into its third century.

Genres: History, Politics, American History, Presidents, Nonfiction

524 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Dr. McDonald was a Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Alabama, where he was the Sixteenth Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities in 1987. He was awarded the Ingersoll Prize in 1990. Professor McDonald is the author of several books including Novus Ordo Seclorum (University Press of Kansas, 1985), and The American Presidency: Roots, Establishment, Evolution (University Press of Kansas, 1994).

Reviews

[Nunya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly comprehensive. To go from pre-colonial executive history to the Clinton administration is impressive. The book is well organized, with a clear defining subject area in each section and chapter. The executive is now, and has been for a while, a kind of super-senator. The highest representative of all the people and the image making requirements this places on potential presidents are huge.

[Kevin Christiansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first section of the book and the discussion of the intellectual roots of the American presidency. The second and third sections were a little more general than I would have preferred. Further, it is a bit dated having been published in 1994.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great overview of the development of the American presidency. The first couple of chapters on the roots of the presidency, or put another way, the influences on the founders to create the presidency, is the best part of the book. As the book proceeds thereafter, it becomes a bit more breezy, and McDonald really too casually flies by the more modern presidents. Still, it's nice that it lightens up a bit.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on the history of the presidency by the inimitable Professor McDonald. The book begins with how the framers were influenced by English law and the history of the executive (ie king and prime minister) up to that point in history. Realize that had there been no George Washington, the framers would have been reluctant to create an executive position that is now known as the presidency.

[David Simonetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. If you are interested in learning more about the evolution of the Presidency, this is well done and easy to read.