Departments

;

presidential history

  • SOURCE: Wall Street Journal
    11/8/2022

    How the Baton is Passed (Review)

    by Lindsay M. Chervinsky

    David Marchick has headed the Partnership for Public Service's Center for Presidential Transition; he is the author of a new book that presents his practical knowledge of what is needed for the transfer of power to run smoothly between one administration and the next. 

  • SOURCE: The Atlantic
    10/19/2022

    Steve Knott: Coming to Terms with "Camelot"

    by Tom Nichols

    Tom Nichols interviews presidential historian Steve Knott, who discusses how the JFK legacy has shifted with political trends and how the JFK Library has sometimes put politics over history. 

  • SOURCE: Daily Beast
    8/27/2022

    How Long Until We Hear "Madam President"?

    by Lindsay M. Chervinsky

    In the early republic, the perception of ambition was a negative for a political candidate, especially for president. That norm mostly survives today in its application to women candidates. 

  • 8/21/2022

    The Reputation of Presidents Takes a Hit in Their Second Term

    by Ronald L. Feinman

    The 2024 presidential campaign is fast approaching, with speculation rampant about whether Biden should seek a second term. Although his political fortunes have improved recently, the record of second-term presidents might give him pause. 

  • 8/21/2022

    President as Change Agent: Breakers vs. Builders

    by Michael A. Genovese

    While Joe Biden has recently enjoyed policy successes that point toward a revival of the Democrats' political fortunes, his brand of change is handicapped by a lack of excitement. Will Americans ultimately choose a "disruptor" over an incrementalist? 

  • SOURCE: WBUR
    4/12/2022

    New Book Offers First Historians' Take on Trump Presidency

    Julian Zelizer is the editor of a collection of essays by an all-star lineup of historians taking stock of the Trump presidency. He discusses the book and the challenges of putting the recent, contested past in perspective. 

  • 4/10/2022

    The Problem of Presidential Isolation

    by Michael A. Genovese

    Today, who can speak truth to the president’s power? And to whom can a president unburden himself in those moments of stress and self-doubt? From whom can the president expect direct and candid advice?

  • SOURCE: The Watergate Story
    4/4/2022

    Watergate at 50: The Consequences of Impunity

    by Barry Sussman

    The Washington Post's City Editor at the time of the Watergate breakin launches a series of posts on the ongoing legacy of the scandal. This one discusses the legacy of elite impunity that resulted from the failure to prosecute Richard Nixon. 

  • SOURCE: TIME
    2/21/2022

    Were the Founders a Bunch of Wealthy Oligarchs?

    by Willard Sterne Randall

    Charles Beard's progressive-era analysis of the founding portrayed the Founders as men of wealth pursuing their own interests; we know the reality was more complicated.