William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913

William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913 - Hardcover

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William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913
  • William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913
William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913 - Hardcover

William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913 - Hardcover

by Jeffrey Rosen
$35.00
$35.00

Book Overview

by Jeffrey Rosen (Author), Arthur M. Jr. Schlesinger (Editor), Sean Wilentz (Editor)

The only man to serve as president and chief justice, who approached every decision in constitutional terms, defending the Founders' vision against new populist threats to American democracy

William Howard Taft never wanted to be president and yearned instead to serve as chief justice of the United States. But despite his ambivalence about politics, the former federal judge found success in the executive branch as governor of the Philippines and secretary of war, and he won a resounding victory in the presidential election of 1908 as Theodore Roosevelt's handpicked successor.

In this provocative assessment, Jeffrey Rosen reveals Taft's crucial role in shaping how America balances populism against the rule of law. Taft approached each decision as president by asking whether it comported with the Constitution, seeking to put Roosevelt's activist executive orders on firm legal grounds. But unlike Roosevelt, who thought the president could do anything the Constitution didn't forbid, Taft insisted he could do only what the Constitution explicitly allowed. This led to a dramatic breach with Roosevelt in the historic election of 1912, which Taft viewed as a crusade to defend the Constitution against the demagogic populism of Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

Nine years later, Taft achieved his lifelong dream when President Warren Harding appointed him chief justice, and during his years on the Court he promoted consensus among the justices and transformed the judiciary into a modern, fully equal branch. Though he had chafed in the White House as a judicial president, he thrived as a presidential chief justice.

Author Biography

Jeffrey Rosen is the author of several books, including Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet. He is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a law professor at George Washington University, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic. He was previously the legal affairs editor of The New Republic and a staff writer for The New Yorker.

Number of Pages: 208
Dimensions: 1 x 8.5 x 5.7 IN
Publication Date: March 20, 2018
ISBN9780805069549
Author Jeffrey Rosen
PublisherTimes Books
GenreBiography and History
FormatHardcover
PublishedMarch 2018
LanguageENG- English
Pages208
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

Biography & Autobiography History Nonfiction

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About Jeffrey Rosen

Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. Rosen is a graduate of Harvard College, Oxford University, and Yale Law School. He is the author of seven previous books, including the New York Times bestseller Conversations with RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law. His essays and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; on NPR; in The New Republic, where he was the legal affairs editor; and in The New Yorker, where he has been a staff writer.

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