The American presidency is in trouble. It is overburdened, misunderstood, an almost impossible job to do. President Trump is a part of that story, but he also obscures it. One of the problems with the presidency is that it has become such a celebrity office that it is defined by the personality of the occupant. But the problems with the job unfolded before Donald Trump was elected, and the challenges of governing today will confront his successors.

