The post-9/11 American presidency has been the focus of much scholarly and popular debate, given the strong exercise of 'emergency' executive power by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In The Cavalier Presidency, DePlato takes a closer look at executive emergency power by tracing and examining its use by presidents in several historical eras. DePlato uses these historical eras ... Read moreto highlight a key question in both political thought and action regarding the proper nature of executive emergency power: should such power be merely implied in the constitutional powers of the president or be explicitly defined in law? This leads to other key considerations, such as the proper role of Congress and the overall threat posed to constitutional democracy by emergency executive power. Overall, DePlato's book will be a helpful source for students of American government seeking an introduction to the dilemma of emergency executive power. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; undergraduate and graduate students.
CHOICE
The arguments made in this book cover an important area of the presidency that is still considered 'unsettled' territory. The book is very well organized and covers key areas of this discussion. Justin DePlato has a point to make and a provocative position to defend.
Michael A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount University Show Less