reviews
Jan 12, 2012
Jamie
rated it: 
The first half or so of this important tome is a fascinating trek through a series of administrations and the highs and lows of presidential power and control. The second half is dedicated, for the most part, to a critique of Richard Nixon and his usurpation of powers normally delegated to - or carried out in conjunction with - the Congress and the courts. As the book came out in 1973, it is dated insofar as it predates Nixon's resignation the year after as well as the passing of the War Powers
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Dec 15, 2010
Nathan
rated it: 
Arthur Schlesinger's "The Imperial Presidency" is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's an incisive and critical look at the American Presidency. It was published during the Nixon administration and then fell out of favor during the decades that followed. The dramatic expansion of executive power during the Bush years has made it seem both relevant and prophetic again.
Jan 25, 2009
Jor-dahn
rated it: 
Schlesinger works out his penitence to Edwin Corwin and unleashes his rhetoric on Nixon. I say this not in defense of Nixon, but that without him, Schlesinger's thesis lacks force. It is an important read, but the thesis is far from sound.
Dec 17, 2011
Mohamed
rated it:
An exquisite exposition of the history of conflict between the Congress and the Presidency in the States .. How a state of institutions goes through its political destiny!!
Aug 16, 2011
Adrian
rated it:
An extremely interesting history of the evolution of the relative power and influence of the executive branch of the American government. Written shortly after the Nixon administration, and the book views it not as an aberration, but as a culmination of executive power, which has continued to expand beyond its original constitutional grounds.
Links accumulation of powers of foreign policy during war time (Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and finally Vietnam) to later accumulation of domes More...
Links accumulation of powers of foreign policy during war time (Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and finally Vietnam) to later accumulation of domes More...
Jun 23, 2011
Tim
rated it:
Brilliantly distilled "classic" view of executive power. Penned in obvious response to Nixon Presidency. . . one wonders what Schlesinger would say of the Obama/Bush/Clinton executive model.
Oct 30, 2008
Matthew
rated it:
This was a real eye-opener for me, even if I wasn't in love with the writing. Dry, sometimes too legalistic, but overall very informative. A must read for anyone who cares at all about the state of the presidency in America.
Jul 27, 2009
Jeremy
rated it:
While I think it was a bit more of a straightforward anti-Nixon rag rather than a broader analytic/historical view of executive power, I thought it was excellent.
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