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In Michael Nelson's fourth edition of The Evolving Presidency, students of the information-rich modern age are reminded that there is no substitute for a primary source. Over 50 documents help to anchor the ever-changing presidency in historical context, dramatically showing presidents pioneer U.S. history in both word and deed. Students will encounter a range of documents from speeches and debates to letters and landmark Supreme Court decisions. Every selection has its own headnote that is carefully crafted to convey the significance of the document during its own time and its lasting effects on the office of the presidency.
Documents new to this edition:
. Memo from Walter F. Mondale to Jimmy Carter Proposing the Modern Vice Presidency (1976
. Bush v. Gore (2000)
. Barack Obama's Campaign Speech on Race in America (2008)
. Barack Obama's Health Care Address (2009)
About the author
Michael Nelson is the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College and a Senior Fellow of the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. His recent books include: The American Presidency: Origins and Development, 1776-2011, 6th Ed., The Presidency and the Political System, 9th Ed., and The Evolving Presidency: Landmark Documents, 1787-2010, 4th Ed, and Debating Reform: Conflicting Perspectives on How to Fix the American Political System. More than fifty of his articles have been reprinted in anthologies of political science, history, music, and English composition, including articles on subjects as varied as baseball, C. S. Lewis, and Frank Sinatra.
