American President: Program 10

Raised under difficult family circumstances, Bill Clinton became governor of Arkansas at the age of 32, after a political career that had already seen its share of reversals. A brilliant, tireless campaigner, he seemingly came out of nowhere to win the presidency in 1992, and then nearly lost it in a scandal that culminated in his impeachment. Although he has presided over a period of prosperity and relative peace, his personal life has been wildly controversial. Clinton's political principles and personal ethics have been challenged since virtually the moment he took office. Whatever history's verdict on him may be, it is plain that he is a first-rate political operator with rare instincts, considerable intellect, and remarkable timing.

Brief Biography and Campaign & Election Information: Coming Soon

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT
Program 10: "The Balance of Power"

The presidency, for all its visibility and occasionally imperial trappings, is only one component of an elaborate constitutional balance of powers. "Designed to guard against tyranny and corruption," says narrator and Time magazine presidential correspondent Hugh Sidey, "it is a balance that has sometimes shifted during the course of our history, bringing at times unexpected results." This hour focuses on four presidencies during which those balances were challenged and defined.

A word about this show from the producers.

For lesson plans developed for this program, go to Lessons on the Series.
For discussion questions on the featured presidents in this program, go to Issues to Ponder.

Just over five feet tall and weighing barely a hundred pounds, James Madison played a giant's role in the creation of America. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787 he argued for a strong central government with powers balanced among three branches—the legislative, executive, and judicial—as a mechanism to prevent the rise of tyranny. When Madison succeeded Jefferson to the presidency, he found himself challenged as no president before or since: in the War of 1812, British troops sacked Washington and burned the White House itself. When the nation emerged victorious and united from the war, Madison could say, "We are teaching the world the great truth that governments do better without kings."

Brief Biography Campaign and Election Information

"Who is Polk?" jeered the opposing party in the election of 1844. He was, it turned out, a protégé of former president Andrew Jackson ("Old Hickory") and an impassioned advocate of American expansion. For example, Polk championed the annexation of Texas despite the threat that a new Southern state might expand the practice of slavery. Moreover, when a border dispute arose with Mexico, Polk sent an army under General Zachary Taylor to settle the argument. The victory seemed to vindicate "Manifest Destiny"—the idea that the United States was empowered to take what it wanted in North America. Under Polk the nation would expand all the way to California. This feat, notes Sidey, was one that Polk "considered his greatest achievement."

Brief Biography Campaign and Election Information

Taft's predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, had claimed new powers for the presidency, but while Taft "agreed with much of Roosevelt's agenda, he was worried about the constitutionality of his methods." Unlike the driven, hyper-energetic Roosevelt, Taft was easygoing, cautious, and indecisive. When Roosevelt—who was a close friend and had practically designated Taft to succeed him—began to insist on the public's right to overturn Supreme Court decisions, Taft publicly opposed his mentor, preserving an essential balance of power. Roosevelt ran again for the presidency, but both he and Taft lost to Woodrow Wilson. A decade later, Taft was appointed to the Supreme Court as chief justice of the United States, where he served with distinction.

Brief Biography Campaign and Election Information