The Evolving Presidency: Landmark Documents, 1787-2015

In the Fifth Edition of The Evolving Presidency, more than 50 documents--speeches, debates, letters and Supreme Court decisions--show readers the ways that presidents have shaped U.S. history through both word and deed. Editor Michael Nelson carefully crafts a headnote for each selection to place it in historical context and convey the document's significance during its own time as well as its lasting effects on the office of the presidency. This edition offers eight all-new selections including James Madison's Notes of the Federal Convention, Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order on Japanese-American Internment, and Barack Obama's 2015 State of the Union Address.

About the Author :
Michael Nelson is Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College and a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. A former editor of the Washington Monthly, his most recent books include Trump's First Year (2018); The Elections of 2016 (2018); The Evolving Presidency: Landmark Documents (2019); The American Presidency: Origins and Development (with Sidney M. Milkis, 2011); and Governing at Home: The White House and Domestic Policymaking (with Russell B. Riley, 2011). Nelson has contributed to numerous journals, including the Journal of Policy History, Journal of Politics, and Political Science Quarterly. He also has written multiple articles on subjects as varied as baseball, Frank Sinatra, and C. S. Lewis. More than fifty of his articles have been anthologized in works of political science, history, and English composition. His 2014 book, Resilient America: Electing Nixon, Channeling Dissent, and Dividing Government, won the American Political Science Association's Richard E. Neustadt Award for best book on the presidency published that year; and his 2006 book with John Lyman Mason, How the South Joined the Gambling Nation, won the Southern Political Science Association's V.O. Key Award.

Review :
"The Evolving Presidency features almost perfect organization and editing of primary documents. The brief summaries that precede each section are very informative and provide important social and political context. The topical guide to the documents is also extremely helpful in organizing the course and placing selected readings in the appropriate sections. It is a concise text, yet critically important." --Brad Clark "I have always been impressed with this book, since I first used it over 10 years (and 3 editions) ago. At the time, it was the only one like it on the market. Its chief strength is in the selection of documents and how closely it adheres to the theme of the constitutional development of the presidency." --Andrew Moore "The most important aspect of this book is its focus on primary documents. Such a focus allows me as faculty to craft critical analytical thought questions focusing on development and changes in the presidency. Student comments range from 'Awesome!' to 'Incredibly helpful.'" --Gary Donato "This book is a great source of primary documents. I also like that each document is preceded by background information which provides context and meaning for students." --Ronald Lee, Rockford University