Fresh from a battle against monarchy, the American Founders were wary of a strong executive, but they were equally conscious that unchecked legislative power risked all the excesses of democracy. Creating an effective executive who did not dominate the legislative body posed a significant challenge. In THE CREATION OF THE PRESIDENCY, 1775-1789, Charles Thach's lucid analysis reveals how these conflicting concerns shaped the writing of the Constitution and the early clarification of executive powers. Thach sets the stage by analysing the political tendencies during the war and under the Articles of Confederation, showing that experience with rash state legislatures and an ineffectual national Congress contributed to the desire for a strong executive. He presents clearly the scattered deliberations on the executive during the Philadelphia Convention and gives due attention to the important decisions on presidential power made by the First Congress. Originally published in 1923, this book has influenced decades of scholars. In 2003 Raymond Tatalovich and Thomas Engeman referred to it as "the definitive statement of original intent" with respect to the establishment of the presidency. Herbert Storing, in his introduction to the 1969 edition, described it as "so useful and so sound as to be indispensable." Now available in this Liberty Fund edition, Thach's pioneering study can again benefit readers interested in the formation of the US Constitution and the creation of the presidency. This volume addresses the practical issue of liberty and constitutional government: namely, how to design an executive power that will be strong enough to keep order yet remain compatible with individual liberty.

George Washington's vision was a presidency free of party, a republican, national office that would transcend faction. That vision would remain strong in the administrations of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Quincy Adams, yet largely disappear under Andrew Jackson and his successors. This book is a comprehensive and pathbreaking study of the early presidency and the ideals behind it. Ralph Ketcham examines the roots of nonpartisan leadership in Western thought and the particular influences on the founding fathers. Intellectual and political profiles of the first six presidents and their administrations emphasize the construction each put on the office, the challenges he faced, and the compromises he did and did not make. The erosion of nonpartisanship under Andrew Jackson is presented as a counterpoint that helps define the early presidency and the permanent transition from it. Addressing the thoughtful citizen as well as the scholar, the author poses the fundamental questions about presidential leadership, then and now. The best study of the early presidency, this book is an intellectual portrait of the age that will challenge received notions of American history.

Get the most up-to-date coverage and analysis of the presidency. Never losing sight of the foundations of the office, The Politics of the Presidency maintains a balance between historical context and contemporary scholarship on the executive branch, providing a solid foundation for any presidency course. In this Revised Tenth Edition, bestselling authors Joseph A. Pika, John Anthony Maltese, and Andrew Rudalevige present a thorough analysis of the change and continuity following the November 2020 presidential election and Biden administration.

The Myth of Presidential Representation evaluates the nature of American presidential representation, questioning the commonly held belief that presidents represent the community at large.