Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency

(Paperback)

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Description

In 1789, the Founders devised a system of checks and balances to keep kingly powers out of the hands of presidents. But in the 1970s and 80s, a faction of Republicans, outraged by the weakening of the presidency after Watergate and Vietnam, abandoned the traditional conservative suspicion of concentrated government power. These men hatched a plot that would allow the White House to wield enormous powers, operating behind a veil of secrecy and unchecked by Congress or the courts.Today's administration is bringing this project to fruition.

TAKEOVER reveals the machinations behind the headlines and lays bare a hidden agenda three decades in the making, one that links warrantless wiretapping and Bush's judicial nominees, torture and Cheney's energy task force, the faith-based initiative and the imprisonment of citizens without trial. It tells the story of how a group of true believers, led by Cheney, set out to establish near-monarchical executive powers that, in the words of one conservative critic, 'will lie around like a loaded weapon' for any future president.

Reviews

'One of the key texts of the Bush years...A masterful work of investigative journalism' - SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Author Bio

Charlie Savage began his reporting career in 1999, covering local and state government for the Miami Herald. In 2003, he joined the Boston Globe's Washington Bureau. Savage lives in Washington, DC with his wife and son.