Forrest Mcdonald\'s the American Presidency:

¶ … Forrest McDonald's

The American Presidency: An Intellectual History

Forrest McDonald's book, the American Presidency: An Intellectual History, published by University Press of Kansas in 1994, provides an in-depth analysis of the presidency and is a useful tool for anyone interested in learning more about the office of the president of the United States.

McDonald offers a realistic view on the office of the presidency covering the history of the office from its conception beginning with English law and constitutional custom to the Clinton administration. McDonald provides a valuable point-of-view along with historical knowledge that makes reading the book enjoyable. For history and political science enthusiasts and the novice wanting to learn more, this book makes understanding the presidency understandable.

McDonald covers decades of the American presidency for us, lending insight into what being president of the United States actually means. He provides us with a sense of reality by allowing us to look at different presidents and how they operated in office. This gives the office of the president a more personal feel. By seeing the presidents in a way that is on a personal level, we can understand a little bit more about the role of the president. Perhaps the most significant aspect of this book is the examination of the roots of the presidency. McDonald spends a great deal of time covering the history and foundation of the office of the president.

While two hundred years of the presidency may seem like a daunting task, McDonald looks at issues both large and small, devoting time to specific matters that bring insight to the office. McDonald spends a good amount of time discussing George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. We see how certain matters, however petty they may seem, concerning the presidency is considered. For instance, we see how early matters such as the president's salary, the inauguration ceremony, and the "niceties of federal-state relations" (215) we addressed. Everything had to be considered and it was through the effort of many that such decisions and conclusions were made. As a result of these necessary decision, McDonald shows us the enormous responsibilities of this office. They range from large to small and from great to almost insignificant. The role may seem glamorous and exciting but statistics prove that men who are president can expect a shorter life span than the average male living in the United States.

McDonald makes the reading easy in that his book is divided into three easily digestible sections, with the first section tracing the roots of the presidency back to Britain. We cannot know where we are without knowing where we have come from. The second section explains how ideas were put into practice and the third section look at the evolution of the presidency. The first two sections discuss the origins and history of the office while McDonald attempts to determine what the framers had in mind. He contends that by the year 1776 things seemed "unlikely that Americans would ever believe in executive authority again - except that in their hearts they yearned to believe" (124). In addition, McDonald explores the Constitutional Convention, Washington's administration, Jefferson's administration, and ratification dates in this section of the book. The last section of the book covers more recent administrations as well as legislation and foreign affairs. McDonald also covers the evolution of the presidency, noting that the "level of expectation has been accelerated over the years by developments in the technology and communications" (278). In addition, the perception of the president has changed as well. As a society, we come to expect more from our president. In addition, the current-day president faces more perils than the president did one hundred years ago.

McDonald also delves into the responsibilities of the president, from executing laws to how he handles his administration. A close observation of the how the administration works allows us to see how things have evolved over decades. McDonald describes a paralysis that evolved over years regarding Congress and how it interacts with the president. He asserts that the "history of the presidency in the twentieth century has been a history of presidents' attempts to gain control of the sprawling federal bureaucracy" (329).

The primary theme we find in the book is that the president of the United States is obligated to play the role of "king-surrogate" (459) even though this is not exactly what the framers of the Constitution had in mind. McDonald asserts that the presidency is essentially a monarchy in disguise. McDonald also maintains that the office has declined since George Washington and Thomas Jefferson with the exception of Ronald Reagan who, "like Jefferson, brought to the presidency a fully conceived set of goals" (342) that in domestic affairs "were mutasis mutandis, much the same as Jefferson's had been" 342). McDonald also favors Richard Nixon, who he predicts will be remembered as one of America's great presidents "depending upon the course of history takes in the future" (468). McDonald leaves us with the ultimate question concerning the presidency, which asks if the office has become a "troubled and somewhat troublesome institution" (479). This is a question that only time can answer but McDonald leaves us with much to ponder. McDonald also provides an interesting "Afterthoughts" section that offers his insight on the president, including how the president keeps up with everything that is going on in the country. Furthermore, he shows us the psychological and physical toll the presidency can have on an individual.