The American founding fathers were dedicated to the project of creating a government both functional and incapable of devolving into tyranny. To do this, they intentionally decentralized decision making among the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches. They believed this separation of powers would force compromise and achieve their goal of "separating to unify." In the second edition of this Very Short Introduction, Charles O. Jones delves into the constitutional roots of the American presidency to show how presidents faced the challenges of governing within a system of separation of powers. This updated edition of The American Presidency reviews crucial themes, including democratization of presidential elections, transitioning into and organizing a presidency, challenges in leading the permanent government, making law and policy, and reforming and changing the institution. It also introduces new case studies from the Obama administration, providing compelling insights into contemporary critical issues such as military power, the role of the First Lady, and the new trends in electoral campaigning-including the stunning advances in mass media and campaign technology. Jones lucidly shows that American presidents are not, and simply cannot be, as powerful as most Americans believe them to be. Accordingly, he stresses the necessity to acknowledge the president's political status and style within the constitutional structure: the president is not the presidency, and the presidency is not the government.

The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

History

Jones, Charles O.

Americas

Oxford University Press

The expansion of executive powers amid the war on terrorism has brought the presidency to the center of heated public debate. Now, in The American Presidency, presidential authority Charles O. Jones provides invaluable background to the current controversy, in a compact, reliable guide to the office of the chief executive.        This marvelously concise survey is packed with information about the presidency, some of it quite surprising. We learn, for example, that the Founders adopted the word "president" over "governor" and other alternatives because it suggested a light hand, as in one who presides, rather than rules. Indeed, the Constitutional Convention first agreed to a weak chief executive elected by congress for one seven-year term, later calling for independent election and separation of powers. Jones sheds much light on how assertive leaders, such as Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, and FDR enhanced the power of the presidency, and illuminating how such factors as philosophy (Reagan's anti-Communist conservatism), the legacy of previous presidencies (Jimmy Carter following Watergate), relations with Congress, and the impact of outside events have all influenced presidential authority. He also explores the rise of federal power and the dramatic expansion of federal agencies, showing how the president takes a direct hand in this vast bureaucracy, and he examines the political process of selecting presidents, from the days of deadlocked conventions to the rise of the primary after World War II.        "In 200 years," he writes, "the presidency had changed from that of a person--Washington followed by Adams, then Jefferson--to a presidential enterprise with a cast of thousands." Jones explains how this remarkable expansion has occurred and where it may lead in the future.

Politics & Social Sciences

Politics & Government

The expansion of executive powers amid the war on terrorism has brought the presidency to the center of heated public debate. Now, in The American Presidency, presidential authority Charles O. Jones provides invaluable background to the current controversy, in a compact, reliable guide to the office of the chief executive. This marvelously concise survey is packed with information about the presidency, some of it quite surprising. We learn, for example, that the Founders adopted the word "president" over "governor" and other alternatives because it suggested a light hand, as in one who presides, rather than rules. Indeed, the Constitutional Convention first agreed to a weak chief executive elected by congress for one seven-year term, later calling for independent election and separation of powers. Jones sheds much light on how assertive leaders, such as Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, and FDR enhanced the power of the presidency, and illuminating how such factors as philosophy (Reagan's anti-Communist conservatism), the legacy of previous presidencies (Jimmy Carter following Watergate), relations with Congress, and the impact of outside events have all influenced presidential authority. He also explores the rise of federal power and the dramatic expansion of federal agencies, showing how the president takes a direct hand in this vast bureaucracy, and he examines the political process of selecting presidents, from the days of deadlocked conventions to the rise of the primary after World War II. "In 200 years," he writes, "the presidency had changed from that of a person--Washington followed by Adams, then Jefferson--to a presidential enterprise with a cast of thousands." Jones explains how this remarkable expansion has occurred and where it may lead in the future. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction

The United States Congress: People, place, and policy (The Dorsey series in political science)

The United States Congress: People, place, and policy (The Dorsey series in political science)

Irwin-Dorsey

For advanced politics students, those wishing to focus on the politics of the policy process. The author attempts to promote understanding of how the process might work under varying conditions as opposed to how to make policy decisions.

An Introduction to the Study of Public Policy

Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.

United States Congress: People, Place, and Policy (DORSEY SERIES IN POLITICAL SCIENCE)

Dorsey Pr

Clinton and Congress, 1993-1996: Risk, Restoration, and Reelection (JULIAN J ROTHBAUM DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES)

Univ of Oklahoma Pr

Examines President Carter's relationship with Congress, discusses his antipolitical approach to reform, and assesses the accomplishment of his administration

Trusteeship Presidency: Jimmy Carter and the United States Congress (Miller Center Series on the American Presidency)

Louisiana State Univ Pr

Midterm: The Elections Of 1994 In Context (Transforming American Politics)

By all accounts, 1994 represents sweeping electoral and policy change rarely seen in any American election, let alone a midterm. This book puts 1994 in context with other significant midterm elections, from 1810 to the present. It also captures the very contemporary concerns unique to 1994: the role of the religious right, the angry white male,” the Contract with America, and the overall tenor of antipathy as voters turned out (or not) to show the Clinton administration what they thought of its first two years. This collection of original essays by noted political scientists gives us the first thoughtful analysis of the 1994 election results and prepares us to anticipate the certain drama and import of the elections of 1996.

Klinkner, Philip A.

Jacobson, Gary

Cammarano, Joe

Ling, Benjamin D

Westview Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Jones, Charles O.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Jones, Charles O.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Jones, Charles O.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction

The United States Congress: People, place, and policy (The Dorsey series in political science)

An Introduction to the Study of Public Policy

United States Congress: People, Place, and Policy (DORSEY SERIES IN POLITICAL SCIENCE)

Clinton and Congress, 1993-1996: Risk, Restoration, and Reelection (JULIAN J ROTHBAUM DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES)

Trusteeship Presidency: Jimmy Carter and the United States Congress (Miller Center Series on the American Presidency)

Midterm: The Elections Of 1994 In Context (Transforming American Politics)

Midterm: The Elections Of 1994 In Context (Transforming American Politics)