The History of Macho Presidents, by Alexander DeConde,
Emeritus Professor of History, University of California at Santa Barbara
Since antiquity, the use and abuse of monarchical, presidential, and other forms of executive power has troubled most societies. For this reason the founders of the American nation, through experience with the British crown and their reading of history, feared to entrust any one leader with unbridled power, particularly in matters of war and peace. They viewed the executive as the natural enemy of liberty and the potential leader of a military tyranny. In their new republic, therefore, they sought means to prevent the rise of a despot.
For these reasons in the nation's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the founders omitted an executive office. The president of the congress, who could serve only one year in any three-year congressional term, had little or no legal power to deal with foreign affairs. When popular disturbances, as in Shays' uprising in 1786, alarmed conservative members of the new nation's establishment, they headed a movement to revise the Articles to strengthen the central government. As is well known, after convening in Philadelphia in 1787 they decided, instead, to fashion a new constitution.
Emeritus Professor of History, University of California at Santa Barbara
Since antiquity, the use and abuse of monarchical, presidential, and other forms of executive power has troubled most societies. For this reason the founders of the American nation, through experience with the British crown and their reading of history, feared to entrust any one leader with unbridled power, particularly in matters of war and peace. They viewed the executive as the natural enemy of liberty and the potential leader of a military tyranny. In their new republic, therefore, they sought means to prevent the rise of a despot.
For these reasons in the nation's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the founders omitted an executive office. The president of the congress, who could serve only one year in any three-year congressional term, had little or no legal power to deal with foreign affairs. When popular disturbances, as in Shays' uprising in 1786, alarmed conservative members of the new nation's establishment, they headed a movement to revise the Articles to strengthen the central government. As is well known, after convening in Philadelphia in 1787 they decided, instead, to fashion a new constitution.