The Presidents and the People
Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It
$28.38
- Paperback
368 pages
- Release Date
7 November 2025
Summary
Imagine an American president who imprisoned critics, spread a culture of white supremacy, and tried to upend the law so that he could commit crimes with impunity.
In this propulsive and eminently readable history, constitutional law and political science professor Corey Brettschneider provides a thoroughly researched account of assaults on democracy by not one such president but five. John Adams waged war on the national press of the early republic, overseeing numerous prosecutions o…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781324110880 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1324110880 |
| Author: | Corey Brettschneider |
| Publisher: | WW Norton & Co |
| Imprint: | WW Norton & Co |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 368 |
| Release Date: | 7 November 2025 |
| Weight: | 300g |
| Dimensions: | 23mm x 140mm x 211mm |
Critics Review
“Corey Brettschneider traces a stunning pattern right across American history. Again and again, brave citizens wielded the Constitution against power, arrogance and racism to save the republic. The Presidents and the People challenges our conventional wisdom about the presidents, the people, the courts and democracy itself. Deeply researched, beautifully written, dramatic, wise and inspiring—a must-read for scholars, citizens and anyone interested in how the United States really works.” – James A. Morone, author of Hellfire Nation and Republic of Wrath
“An inspired history dramatically rendered: the crises five past presidents inflicted on the nation and the moral sense, political skill and persistence the people mustered to restore constitutional order. Richard Nixon’s abuse of power, however, eluded recovery—why? The Presidents and the People supplies a guide and issues a warning.” – Nancy L. Rosenblum, Senator Joseph Clark Research Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government, Harvard University
Corey Brettschneider
Corey Brettschneider is a professor at Brown University, where he teaches constitutional law and politics. He has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time. He is also the author of The Oath and the Office. He lives in New York.
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