Richard J. Ellis - The Development of the American Presidency

Afull understanding of the institution of the American presidency requires us to examine how it developed from the founding to the present. This developmental lens, analyzing how historical turns have shaped the modern institution, allows for a richer, more nuanced understanding. The Development of theAmerican Presidency pays great attention to that historical weight but is organized by the topics and concepts relevant to political science, with the constitutional origins and political development of the presidency its central focus. Through comprehensive and in-depth coverage, Richard Ellis looks at how the presidency has evolved in relation to the public, to Congress, to the executive branch, and to the law, showing at every step how different aspects of the presidency have followed distinct trajectories of change. Each chapter promotes active learning, beginning with a narrative account of some illustrative puzzle that brings to life a central concept. A wealth of photos, figures, and tables allow for the visual presentations of concepts.

New to the Third Edition

Analysis of the 2016 election, including the role of the Electoral College and implications of Trumps nomination for the party decides thesis;

Exploration of Trumps Twitter presidency and the effectiveness of using social media to bypass the Washington press corps;

In-depth coverage of the development of twentieth-century presidentpress relations, including a new section on broadcasting the presidency that explores the development of the presidential press conference and presidents use of radio and television;

Study of national security policy in theObama administration,with a special focus on the targeted killing of American citizens and Obamas legacy for presidential war powers;

Examination of the original understanding and contemporary relevance of impeachment as well as updated discussion of the presidents pardon power;

Discussion of recent developments in the legislative and legal realms, including Trumps first hundred days, the GarlandGorsuch episode, and abolition of the filibuster for Supreme Court appointments;

Preliminary assessment of Trumps place in historical time.

Richard J. Ellis is the Mark O. Hatfield Professor of Politics at Willamette University. He has been awarded Oregon Teacher of the Year from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, as well as numerous other awards for both scholarship and teaching. He is the author or editor of more than fifteen books, including Judging Executive Power: Sixteen Supreme Court Cases That Have Shaped the American Presidency; Debating the Presidency: Conflicting Perspectives on the American Executive; and Presidential Travel: The Journey from George Washington to George W. Bush.

THIRD EDITION

RICHARD J. ELLIS

Published 2018
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2018 Taylor & Francis

The right of Richard J. Ellis to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

First edition published by Routledge 2012
Second edition published by Routledge 2015

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Ellis, Richard (Richard J.), author.
Title: The development of the American presidency/Richard J. Ellis, Willamette University.
Description: Third Edition. | New York: Routledge, 2018. | First edition published by Routledge 2012T.p. verso. | Second edition published by Routledge 2015T.p. verso. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017038454 | ISBN 9781138039230 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781138039247 (paperback) | ISBN 9781315176048 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: PresidentsUnited States.
Classification: LCC JK516.E55 2018 | DDC 352.230973dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017038454

ISBN: 978-1-138-03923-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-03924-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-17604-8 (ebk)

Typeset in Minion and Stone Sans
by Sunrise Setting Ltd, Brixham, UK

Chapter 1 Envisioning the Presidency

PART I THE PRESIDENT AND THE PEOPLE

Chapter 2 Selecting the President

Chapter 3 The Public Presidency

PART II THE PRESIDENTAND CONGRESS

Chapter 4 The Legislative Presidency

Chapter 5 The War-Making Presidency

Chapter 6 The Unilateral Presidency: Legislating from the Oval Office

PART III THE PRESIDENT AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Chapter 7 Organizing the Presidency

Chapter 8 The Removal Power, Party Patronage, and the Unitary Executive

PART IV THE PRESIDENT AND THE LAW

Chapter 9 The President and the Judiciary

Chapter 10 Law and Executive Power

PART V CONCLUSION

Chapter 11 Evaluating Presidents

Preface

Chapter 1 Envisioning the Presidency

The Revolutionary Experience

The Framers Doubts and Disagreements

Four Visions of the Presidency

The Potent Presidency

The Princely Presidency

The Perverted Presidency

The Progressive Presidency

Partisan Vision?

Theories of Political Development

PART I THE PRESIDENT AND THE PEOPLE

Chapter 2 Selecting the President

Introductory Puzzle: How Did Jefferson Almost Lose to His Vice President?

The Framers Presidential Selection Plan

Founding Elections

The System Fails: The Elections of 1796 and 1800

The Twelfth Amendment

When Caucus Was King

The 1824 Election: The System Fails Again?

Playing a New Party Game

Party Rules

The Electoral College Misfires: 1876 and 1888

Running (not Standing) for President

The Rise of the Presidential Primary and the Slow Decline of the National Nominating Convention

The Contemporary Nomination Process

The Not-so-Super Superdelegates

The Invisible Primary

Does the Party Still Decide? The Gatekeepers and the Party Crashers in 2016

The Contemporary Debate over the Electoral College

How the Electoral College Worked in the Twentieth Century

The 2000 Election: Court Picks President

The 2016 Election: Making Winners of Losers

The Future of the Electoral College

Obstacles to Reform in a State-Based Electoral System

Chapter 3 The Public Presidency

Introductory Puzzle: Why Did Lincoln Play Second Fiddle at Gettysburg?

The Gauntlet of Conflicting Public Expectations

The Old Patrician Ways

The Constitutional Presidency: A President above Party