U.S. Presidents For Dummies with Online Practice

Marcus A. Stadelmann

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781119748649
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Discover how the Oval Office's occupants have made and make history

Which one was the tallest? Which one fought a duel? Which had liquor smuggled into the White House during Prohibition? And why is the president even called the president in the first place? From periwigs and knee breeches to the 24-hour news cycle and presidential Tweets, the fascinating and colorful stories of the 45 incumbents are a powerful lens through which to view U.S. history and get insight into the present.

Taking readers on a fact-filled journey through two centuries, this book examines how each individual obtained their dream (or nightmare) position, what they stood for (or against), achieved (or didn't), and how their actions affected the country—for better or worse. And—remembering that presidents are people too—it shows how the personal really can be political, exploring how each president's vision, strengths, and foibles helped or hindered them in building the country and their own legacy.

• Accessible biographies of all presidents
• Sidebars, timelines, and photos
• Lists of best and worst administrations
• Bonus online content, including quizzes galore to help build retention

Whether you're a student, a history buff—or are even interested in becoming president yourself one day— U. S. Presidents For Dummies is the perfect guide to what it takes to be leader of the free world, who has stepped up to that challenge, and how those personal histories can help us understand yesterday's, today's, and even tomorrow's union.

Part 1

Understanding U.S. Presidents

IN THIS PART …

Discover the constitutional powers of the president, such as the veto power, and also some informal powers such as the power to manipulate public opinion. In addition, find out about the evolution of the presidency from a weak ceremonial post to the imperial presidency of modern times.

Examine the way we evaluate and rank presidents and their administrations. Uncover academic rankings of our presidents and look at upward and downward movement of some presidents.

Chapter 1

Presidents and the Presidency

IN THIS CHAPTER

Setting up a government for the United States

Understanding the influence of the president

Seeing how the president shapes public opinion

Looking at the president’s many roles

This chapter looks at the U.S. presidency. It talks about how the U.S. system of government was established. It also discusses the Constitution and the evolution of the presidency from a weak ceremonial post, such as the presidency of James Madison, to the imperial presidency of FDR. Today we find a stalemate between the presidency and Congress, resulting in much bargaining and compromising and the occasional government shutdown. In addition, the chapter covers formal powers the president possesses, such as the power to cast a veto. Finally, the president has been granted or assumed some special, informal powers, especially the power to manipulate public opinion. The discussion of these informal powers rounds out the chapter.

Establishing the First U.S. Government

In 1774, 12 colonies (Georgia refused to attend) agreed to get together and set up a united legislature, or Continental Congress, to speak with one voice against British oppression. The Continental Congress turned into a national legislature during the Revolutionary War and stuck around after independence was declared, assuming the functions of a new national government.

In 1781, the Congress passed the Articles of Confederation, creating a confederation between the 13 former colonies. After the states agreed on the Articles of Confederation, the Congress renamed itself the Congress of the Confederation and became a weak federal legislature — it was without real powers, including the power to tax or the power to create a national army. The real power remained within the 13 states.

The Congress survived until the Constitution created a new form of government in 1789, and the Congress of the United States replaced the Congress of the Confederation.

A confederation is a form of government where power rests at the state level and not at the national level.

Facing problems

The confederation system caused immediate problems for the new country:

• Without the power to tax, the Congress could not support a large military, which was dangerous with the British, Russian, and Spanish empires still in North America.
• The war bonds sold to finance the war against Britain presented another problem. With the war over and the national government unable to tax, nobody redeemed the bonds. Many patriotic people who bought war bonds to support the war for independence lost their life savings when they couldn’t redeem the bonds. Not surprisingly, people complained.
• Trade became a problem, with the states treating each other like they were foreign countries. How can a united country be established when its members impose trade restrictions against each other?

Writing a constitution

By 1785, many prominent politicians in the United States were worried. They felt that the new country was in serious trouble and that the new government, created by the Articles of Confederation, was not working. For this purpose, a national meeting in Philadelphia was called to change or revise the Articles of Confederation. This meeting, also referred to as the Constitutional Convention, began in May 1787. Its original purpose was just to change the Articles of Confederation, not to write a new Constitution. The convention lasted until September 1787, when the delegates actually overstepped their authority and voted to approve a new constitution for the country.

Instead of revising the Articles of Confederation, the delegates created a brand-new document — the Constitution of the United States. They felt that a revision of the Articles of Confederation would not accomplish the task of creating a strong, united country. So they wrote a brand-new document instead, abolishing the Articles of Confederation and setting up a new form of government. The Constitution called for the following:

• The creation of a federal republic, where the states and the national/federal government shared powers
• A bicameral Congress with two chambers — the House of Representatives (selected by the people) and the Senate (equally represented by the states, with each state sending two senators)
• An executive, or president, elected by an Electoral College every four years
• A Supreme Court nominated by the president and ratified by the Senate

Drawing up the presidency

During the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, the hottest topic was what kind of executive to have. Some wanted a strong executive, even a king. Others wanted a weak executive at the mercy of Congress. Some even proposed multiple executives, with more than one president serving in the various areas of government.

James Wilson, a delegate from Pennsylvania, was responsible for the presidency we have today. During the debate, he based the modern presidency on the New York and Massachusetts state constitutions.

One of the big questions at the Constitutional Convention was whether to create a parliamentary system or a presidential republic. In a parliamentary system, the legislature, not the citizens, selects the executive. Chosen by the majority, the executive’s party always controls the legislature. In a presidential republic, voters choose the president. This can result in a divided government, with one party controlling the legislature and the other the presidency.

A presidential system, such as the form the United States adopted, creates moderate policies, involving lots of compromise, because the executive and Congress have to bargain with each other to be successful. In a parliamentary system, the executive always gets what he or she wants, because it controls the legislature.

Being unique

The system of checks and balances is a feature unique to the United States. The delegates at the convention wanted to make sure that the president wouldn’t dominate the new government. So they implemented many checks on his power. Congress and the Supreme Court can check the president in the areas the delegates considered the most important, resulting in this system of checks and balances. These areas included treaty-making, war-making and especially the power to declare war, which was given to Congress. Congress and the Supreme Court further received the power to override a president’s veto and to remove him from office if necessary.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The Electoral College, established by the Constitution, consists of electors who have the power to choose the president and vice president.

The first Electoral College, which met in 1789, consisted of representatives from all the states that ratified the Constitution. Depending on the state, either the people or the state legislatures chose the respective delegates for the Electoral College. In the Electoral College, each delegate cast two ballots. Whoever won the most votes ...