The Presidency and the Challenge of Democracy [Paperback]

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.Introduction: Is the Presidency Dangerous to Democracy?; M.A.Genovese From Presidential Wars to American Hegemony: The Constitution after 9/11; L.Fisher Guarding the Parchment Barrier: The Attorney General and Presidential Power in Wartime; N.V.Baker The Constitutional Checks and Balances that Neither Check nor Balance; N.Kassop The Commander-in-Chief Power and Constitutional Invention in the Bush Administration; R.J.Spitzer The President over the Public: The Plebiscitary Presidency at Center Stage; L.C.Han From Multilateralism to Unilateralism: Evaluating U.S. Policy Making in the United Nations, Gulf Wars I and II; M.Bose The President as King: The Usurpation of War and Foreign Affairs Powers in the Modern Age; D.G.Adler Conclusion: The American Presidency in the Post 9/11 World; T.E.Cronin

This book presents a superb collection of analyses of the nature of executive power in our separation-of-powers system. The essays are soundly based in the Constitution and provide an incisive perspective on the constiutional power of the president and its limits. For anyone interested in the constitutional dimensions of President Bush's assertions of presidential power, this book provides an excellent overview. - James P. Pfiffner, Professor in the School of Public Policy, George Mason University This book could not be more timely. It is an essential roadmap for studying the central issues of the presidency that are making headlines today. - Eugene J. Alpert, Ph.D., The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars These distinguished presidential scholars offer a devastating critique of presidents who have taken executlC$