Bruce Ackerman shows how the institutional dynamics of the last half-century have transformed the American presidency
into a potential platform for political extremism and lawlessness. Watergate, Iran-Contra, and the War on Terror
are only symptoms of deeper pathologies. Ackerman points to a series of developments that have previously been
treated independently of one another - from the rise of presidential primaries, to the role of pollsters and media
gurus, to the centralization of power in White House czars, to the politicization of the military, to the manipulation
of constitutional doctrine to justify presidential power-grabs. He shows how these different transformations can
interact to generate profound constitutional crises in the twenty-first century - and then proposes a series of
reforms that will minimize, if not eliminate, the risks going forward. The book aims to begin a new constitutional
debate. Americans should not suppose that Barack Obama's centrism and constitutionalism will typify the presidencies
of the twenty-first century. We should seize the present opportunity to confront deeper institutional pathologies
before it is too late.