Essays

American History: Book Review

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For reference, the specific class was "People of the US from 1865" (HIST 018). This paper was written in Chicago Style, using footnotes for citations, and has been adapted for Wattpad. The majority of this review SUMMARIZES the book, and therefore, "spoils" the author's thesis and arguments.

"Review The Lost Soul of the American Presidency by Stephen Knott. Begin with an introduction that explains your thesis, the author's thesis and credentials, and outlines the rest of your paper. Then most of your paper should be dedicated to summarizing the most important evidence that the author uses to support his thesis. In your last 2-3 paragraphs you should evaluate the author's use of evidence, compare the book with other books or articles (you can use McClay or JSTOR) on the subject, and conclude with a final evaluation of the book by discussing who would find it useful and why."

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Grade: 97.5%

Stephen F. Knott, professor of history at U.S. Naval War College and author of many books on the presidency (1), argues in his book The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal that "shifting presidential power away from its constitutional foundation toward a presidency of popular consent contributed to the decline of the office and of the American polity." (2) The framers held a clear idea of the power and character of the American president and established the government based on the Constitution. However, presidents such as Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Woodrow Wilson undermined the position and essentially destroyed the framer's outlook. There were a handful of presidents who were able to uphold the framer's ideals including Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Despite this, the majority have taken a page from Jefferson's book in appealing to public opinion. In recent years, the destruction of the constitutional presidency has resulted in the epitome of demagoguery: Donald Trump. All of this in mind, Knott further argues that it may be possible to stop the decline of the American presidency by consolidating the framer's ideals.

The framers, primarily George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, had a clear view of the role of the president in the American government including their place within checks and balances as well as their character. They believed the power of the government and presidency stemmed from the Constitution not the will of the people. From the beginning, the founders were concerned with the possibility of a demagogue becoming the president (3). Hamilton rejected the idea that the people were always right (4). He stood for cool rationality over hot passions (5). Since demagogues and populists appealed to the public's current interests, they only provided short-term solutions versus long-term stability (6). Furthermore, as seen later, demagogues could persuade public opinion to fit their needs. The framers developed filters to protect the nation from demagogues and "refine popular sentiment" including the Senate (prior to 1913), the Electoral College, and other checks on the president's power and character (7). All in all, the framer's government was based on a respect for the rule of law (8), and the president was to uphold a dignified character to unite the people. As president, Washington hosted ceremonies and parades to excite the people, however, he did not form a personal relationship with the people (9). Additionally, Washington had a policy of remaining silent on current issues. This aligns with the Hamiltonian idea that the president themselves should act as a check against public opinion rather than bolster opinions with little thought (10). In this avenue, the framers recognized that if a president sided blindly with the popular opinions of the majority, they would disenfranchise the minority (11).