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The modern presidency is increasingly seen as in trouble by all
sides of the political spectrum and by people of the most diverse
political views. Understanding why this is the case requires
examining the basic principles of the presidency itself, and there
is no better place to start than William Howard Taft's Popular
Government. His views on executive power and constitutional
interpretation of this power are not rooted in nostalgia. Instead,
Taft describes how and why the Progressive Movement marked one of
the major turning points in American political thought. Taft wrote
out of concern over the nature of the American system itself. He
sought to describe the founding principles of the country, arguing
that grasping these is essential for Americans' understanding of
themselves as a people and for their daily exercise of citizenship.
The concerns he addressed remain central today. Th at is because
Taft's quarrels with the liberal-progressive tradition in politics
have not yet completely played themselves out, either in academic
life, or in the political arena. In a brilliant new introduction,
Sidney Pearson argues that neither Roosevelt nor Wilson should be
viewed as enemies of free government by any serious student of
American political thought, nor should Taft be so regarded either.
The concerns Taft engages remain important for any understanding of
the problems that confront the American experiment in popular
government. Popular Government is a basic introduction to debate
about the nature of the presidency and the larger constitutional
context in which such arguments take place. Th ere is no better way
to gain perspective on the debate than reading this volume.
The modern presidency is increasingly seen as in trouble by all
sides of the political spectrum and by people of the most diverse
political views. Understanding why this is the case requires
examining the basic principles of the presidency itself, and there
is no better place to start than William Howard Taft's "Popular
Government." His views on executive power and constitutional
interpretation of this power are not rooted in nostalgia. Instead,
Taft describes how and why the Progressive Movement marked one of
the major turning points in American political thought.
Taft wrote out of concern over the nature of the American system
itself. He sought to describe the founding principles of the
country, arguing that grasping these is essential for Americans'
understanding of themselves as a people and for their daily
exercise of citizenship. The concerns he addressed remain central
today. Th at is because Taft's quarrels with the
liberal-progressive tradition in politics have not yet completely
played themselves out, either in academic life, or in the political
arena.
In a brilliant new introduction, Sidney Pearson argues that
neither Roosevelt nor Wilson should be viewed as enemies of free
government by any serious student of American political thought,
nor should Taft be so regarded either. The concerns Taft engages
remain important for any understanding of the problems that
confront the American experiment in popular government. "Popular
Government" is a basic introduction to debate about the nature of
the presidency and the larger constitutional context in which such
arguments take place. Th ere is no better way to gain perspective
on the debate than reading this volume.
"William Howard Taft" served as the twenty-third president of
the United States from 1909-1913 and as Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court from 1921-1930. He is the only person to have held
the highest office in two of the three branches of American
government. He wrote numerous books including "Our Chief Magistrate
and His Powers, The Anti-Trust Act and the Supreme Court," and "The
Covenanter: An American Exposition of the Covenant of the League of
Nations."
"Sidney A. Pearson, Jr." is professor emeritus of political
science at Radford University. He is also the series editor of
"Library of Liberal Thought" at Transaction Publishers.
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