{"product_id":"the-forgotten-presidents-their-untold-constitutional-legacy","title":"The Forgotten Presidents: Their Untold Constitutional Legacy","description":"\u003cp\u003eTheir names linger in memory mainly as punch lines  synonyms for obscurity: Millard Fillmore  Chester Arthur  Calvin Coolidge. They conjure up not the White House so much as a decaying middle school somewhere in New Jersey. But many forgotten presidents  writes Michael J. Gerhardt  were not weak or ineffective. They boldly fought battles over constitutional principles that resonate today.  Gerhardt  one of our leading legal experts  tells the story of The Forgotten Presidents. He surveys thirteen administrations in chronological order  from Martin Van Buren to Franklin Pierce to Jimmy Carter  distinguishing political failures from their constitutional impact. Again and again  he writes  they defied popular opinion to take strong stands. Martin Van Buren reacted to an economic depression by withdrawing federal funds from state banks in an attempt to establish the controversial independent treasury system. His objective was to shrink the federal role in the economy  but also to consolidate his power to act independently as president. Prosperity did not return  and he left office under the shadow of failure. Grover Cleveland radically changed his approach in his second (non-consecutive) term. Previously he had held back from interference with lawmakers; on his return to office  he aggressively used presidential power to bend Congress to his will. Now seen as an asterisk  Cleveland consolidated presidential authority over appointments  removals  vetoes  foreign affairs  legislation  and more. Jimmy Carter  too  proves surprisingly significant. In two debt-ceiling crises and battles over the Panama Canal treaty  affirmative action  and the First Amendment  he demonstrated how the presidencys inherent capacity for efficiency and energy gives it an advantage in battles with Congress  regardless of popularity. Gerhardt explains the many things these and ten other presidents have in common that explain why  in spite of any of their excesses  they have become forgotten chief executives.  Incisive  myth-shattering  and compellingly written  this book shows how even obscure presidents championed the White Houses prerogatives and altered the way we interpret the Constitution.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44966741246005,"sku":"ByrdShop_0199967792","price":35.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780199967797.jpg?v=1770577817","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-forgotten-presidents-their-untold-constitutional-legacy","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}