Gerald Ford and the Separation of Powers

Preserving the Constitutional Presidency in the Post-Watergate Period

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory, Government
Cover of the book Gerald Ford and the Separation of Powers by Alex E. Hindman, Lexington Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alex E. Hindman ISBN: 9781498537643
Publisher: Lexington Books Publication: February 3, 2017
Imprint: Lexington Books Language: English
Author: Alex E. Hindman
ISBN: 9781498537643
Publisher: Lexington Books
Publication: February 3, 2017
Imprint: Lexington Books
Language: English

The constitutional presidency is the crown jewel of the separation of powers in the American system. Designed in 1787, the office was structured to weather a wide variety of political circumstances, accommodate broad ranges of personalities in its incumbents and educate officeholders to become better presidents. Nowhere are these three effects clearer than during the brief, unelected tenure of President Gerald Ford, because he occupied the presidency amid tremendous strains on the country and the separation of powers. After the dual traumas of Watergate and Vietnam, the public was profoundly skeptical of government in general and the presidency in particular. As a result, the post-Watergate Congress claimed the mantle of public support and proposed reforms that could have crippled the presidency’s constitutional powers. Weakened by the Nixon pardon, Ford stood alone in this environment without many of the informal political strengths associated with the modern presidency. As a result he had to rely, in large measure, on the formal powers of his constitutional office. Based on archival research, this book shows that Ford’s presidency placed the Constitution at the center of his time in office. The constitutional presidency allowed him to preserve his own political life, his presidential office, and the separation of powers amid a turbulent chapter in American history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The constitutional presidency is the crown jewel of the separation of powers in the American system. Designed in 1787, the office was structured to weather a wide variety of political circumstances, accommodate broad ranges of personalities in its incumbents and educate officeholders to become better presidents. Nowhere are these three effects clearer than during the brief, unelected tenure of President Gerald Ford, because he occupied the presidency amid tremendous strains on the country and the separation of powers. After the dual traumas of Watergate and Vietnam, the public was profoundly skeptical of government in general and the presidency in particular. As a result, the post-Watergate Congress claimed the mantle of public support and proposed reforms that could have crippled the presidency’s constitutional powers. Weakened by the Nixon pardon, Ford stood alone in this environment without many of the informal political strengths associated with the modern presidency. As a result he had to rely, in large measure, on the formal powers of his constitutional office. Based on archival research, this book shows that Ford’s presidency placed the Constitution at the center of his time in office. The constitutional presidency allowed him to preserve his own political life, his presidential office, and the separation of powers amid a turbulent chapter in American history.

More books from Lexington Books

Cover of the book Living Traditions and Universal Conviviality by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book The Twenty-First-Century Media Industry by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book HBO's Girls and the Awkward Politics of Gender, Race, and Privilege by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Brazilian Telenovelas and the Myth of Racial Democracy by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Communicating during Humanitarian Medical Crises by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Augustine and Politics by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Steadfast Movement around Micronesia by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Selling Reagan's Foreign Policy by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Reverie and Reality by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Political Symbols in Russian History by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Ecocritical Approaches to Literature in French by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Understanding Adolescent Immigrants by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Latinas in American Politics by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Warning Signs of Genocide by Alex E. Hindman
Cover of the book Alien Life and Human Purpose by Alex E. Hindman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy