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.

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