American President: Program 9

One of the most complex and enigmatic political figures of the century, Richard Nixon was elected to office by a nation that seemed trapped in a cycle of protests, riots, and assassinations. He was a visionary strategist who ended the Vietnam War and single-handedly opened relations with China. He possessed a keen awareness of America's place in the balance of world power, promoting détente with the Soviet Union. Moreover, Nixon won reelection in a landslide. Soon afterward, however, the nation was spellbound by the so-called Watergate scandal, in which it gradually became apparent that the president and his deputies had committed serious crimes and lied to cover their tracks. The crisis ended with Nixon's resignation from office. "To commit crimes in the People's House," says presidential scholar Richard Neustadt, "is unforgivable."

Brief Biography Campaign and Election Information

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT
Program 9: Expanding Power"

People perceive the American president as having more power than any other ruler on earth. But, according to Time magazine's Hugh Sidey, "None of the presidents in my time has thought he had enough." This hour explores the growth of the presidency from a weak position that was subservient to party leaders in the 19th century, to its modern, near-imperial state. To examine this transformation, this segment traces the careers of four men who expanded and—in one case, overstepped—the powers of the office.

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.

A rough-hewn, iron-willed, self-made man from Tennessee and a general accustomed to unquestioning obedience, Jackson found the restrictions on the president's powers unbearable. He repeatedly clashed with Congress, bullying and berating to get his way, and wielding the presidential veto like a deadly weapon. Those in power loathed and feared him, but the people adored him. At the end of Jackson's two tumultuous terms, the reach and might of the presidency have been expanded exponentially, and neither the executive branch—nor the government as a whole—would ever be quite the same.

Brief Biography Campaign and Election Information

A tireless conservative who led the Democrats back to the White House after almost three decades of failure, Cleveland clashed with Congress with a ferocity not unlike that of Andrew Jackson. In order to replace an entrenched and unresponsive bureaucracy, he used literally hundreds of vetoes to hold the legislative branch in check after Congress refused to confirm some of his appointments. He reestablished the president's right to appoint many of the government's principal officers. Defeated in his bid for reelection, Cleveland bided his time for four years and then returned to the White House—the only president ever to hold two non-consecutive terms.

Brief Biography Campaign and Election Information

Theodore Roosevelt made a life's work out of confounding the expectations of others. A sickly child, he grew into a physical and intellectual whirlwind. A rich man's son, he used the power of the presidency to confront the powerful industrialists and their almighty trusts. On the world stage, he mediated the talks between warring Russia and Japan, sent abroad the "Great White Fleet," and engineered a coup in Central America that made the Panama Canal possible. By the time he left office, he was a symbol of his country's emerging dominance in world affairs.

Brief Biography Campaign and Election Information