Реферат: Imperial Presidency Overview Essay Research Paper Imperial

one man may consider an act of defense, another man may consider to be an act of

aggression, and vice versa. Because of this, the presidency was able to gain a

leg up on Congress.

Schlesinger also discusses the actions taken within the inner sanctum of

the White House. His focus is on the presidents from FDR through Nixon. Many of

these men made many controversial decisions while in the oval office.

Schlesinger goes over these actions with a microscope. For instance, he

discusses the extreme secrecy and deception that Nixon practiced while in office.

He analyzes the specific actions of the administration, the reasons for the

actions, and the result of the actions. According to Schlesinger, the result of

Nixon’s extreme secrecy led him to be withdrawn from the rest of the country. He

eventually created his own reality within the White House. It was a self-

perceived reality where he could do whatever he wanted, right or wrong. This led

to a somber, macabre mood throughout the White House, and eventually led to

Nixon’s downfall. He goes over the administrations of the modern presidents with

a fine-toothed comb. He reviews their actions in reference to their specific

nature (i.e., internal policy and foreign policy). Schlesinger also spends a

chapter discussing the classified actions that only the officials in Washington

knew about. He reviews the covert actions throughout the history of the

presidency, not merely the twentieth century. Although, as is the case with most

other topic areas, he focuses on the modern presidents. The majority of these

secret actions involved either the CIA or the military. Even though we are

unaware that these actions are occurring, they have a big impact on both our

lives and the imperial power of the office of the presidency.

Methodology & Evidence: Imperial Presidency

Schlesinger proves his thesis by following American politics from the

founding fathers up through the Nixon administration. He recounts the major

political actions taken by the presidents over the first two-hundred years of

the United States. He shows how the presidency grew in power and stature by