Subverting the republic : Donald J. Trump and the perils of presidentialism / Nicholas F. Jacobs and Sidney M. Milkis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jacobs, Nicholas F., Author.

Milkis, Sidney M., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Trump, Donald, 1946-.

Trump, Donald.

United States--Politics and government--2017-2021.

United States.

Abuse of administrative power--United States--History--21st century.

Abuse of administrative power.

Executive power--United States--History.

Executive power.

Executive-legislative relations--United States.

Executive-legislative relations.

Physical Description:

xiv, 328 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Donald J. Trump and the perils of presidentialism

Place of Publication:

Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, [2025]

Summary:

"While some scholars of American politics view the Trump presidency as an aberration, Nicholas Jacobs and Sidney Milkis argue that his unsettling ascent to the White House was decades in the making, the result of numerous institutional and constitutional changes. From aggressively redeploying the federal government's administrative powers, to using the tools of the modern presidency to undertake a hostile takeover of the Republican Party, Trump's presidency reveals the peril of a presidency-centered democracy that combines executive aggrandizement and polarizing struggles over the meaning of American identity. The disruptive features of the Trump presidency should not be viewed as an ephemeral phenomenon, nor will Donald Trump's departure from the White House end the threat that presidentialism poses to American democracy. This work aims to provide a serious explanation for why the Trump presidency happened--and why it might happen again"-- Provided by publisher.

"From two expert presidential scholars comes a new answer to why the Trump presidency happened: decades of partisanship and policies have centered the president as the sole focus of American government to create a treacherous system whose danger may far outlive the politics of Donald J. Trump. Donald Trump's presidency and the extraordinary events that led to his reelection in 2024 have changed how we understand the presidency--but this transformation was not of his own making. His unprecedented rise to power brazenly defies established constitutional norms and institutions, and Trump 2.0 promises another disruptive term. Yet, as Nicholas F. Jacobs and Sidney M. Milkis reveal, Trump's brand of presidential politics is not merely a shocking departure from tradition, but a symptom of a constitutional disease that had has long afflicted the American polity. They call this condition presidentialism, a dangerous shift towards an executive-centered politics and government that places immense power in the hands of a single individual. While some scholars of American politics view the Trump presidency as a cult of personality, Jacobs and Milkis argue that his unsettling ascent to the White House was decades in the making, the result of numerous cultural, institutional, and constitutional changes. From aggressively redeploying the federal government's administrative powers, to using the tools of the modern presidency to undertake a hostile takeover of the Republican Party, the authors comprehensively detail Trump's first presidential administration to understand the peril of a presidency-centered democracy. The disruptive features of Trump's presidential politics should not be viewed as an ephemeral phenomenon, nor will the threat that presidentialism poses to American democracy end once he finally leaves office. Subverting the Republic explains why Trump has reigned over American politics for nearly a decade and why his mastery threatens to deepen a crisis that tears at the fabric of the American constitution"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Modern Presidency and Executive-Centered Partisanship

Trump, the Conservative Movement, and the Grand Old Party

Unilateralism and the Trump Presidency

Trump and the Separation of Powers

The Presidency in Crisis : COVID-19, Racial Justice, and the 2020 Presidential Election

The Future of the American Presidency.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version Jacobs, Nicholas F. Subverting the republic

ISBN:

9780700638840

0700638849

9780700638901

0700638903

OCLC:

1468972333