The Unilateral Presidency and the News Media - (Evolving American Presidency) by Mark Major (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Since George Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793, there has been an ongoing debate concerning the proper scope and exercise of presidential unilateral powers. With a mere 'stroke of the pen,' presidents can change the political status quo. The Constitution is silent about these powers, Congress seldom acts to limit them, and the public is usually unaware of this aspect of executive authority. The Unilateral Presidency and the News Media investigates the role media play in bringing attention to unwritten presidential powers; examining the amount of coverage, type of frames used, influencers of frames, and where these frames place the unilateral powers of the American presidency in a constitutional context"

Book Synopsis

Media coverage of presidential actions can not only serve journalistic purposes, but can also act as a check against unilateral decision making. The book seeks to uncover how the news media has worked to curtail overreaching power within the executive branch, demonstrating how the fourth estate keeps presidential overreach at bay.

About the Author

Mark Major is the Associate Director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy and Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the Pennsylvania State University, USA. He is the editor of Where Do We Go from Here? American Democracy and the Renewal of the Radical Imagination.