When the President Threatens Democracy

Julian Zelizer: “Back in 1973, historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. issued a warning. In his classic book, The Imperial Presidency, Schlesinger confessed that — like many liberals — he had once been too enamored with presidential power, a reverence that took root during Franklin Roosevelt’s era.”

“While he still believed a strong executive was necessary to move the political system forward on critical issues, he had come to see more clearly the dangers the founders had warned against: that without effective checks and balances, too much power concentrated in the presidency could threaten American democracy itself.”