When the American president cannot get his way with Congress on something of great importance to him, he often appeals "over the heads" of Congress, directly to the American people. This kind of appeal and the frequent use of the media to generate support for presidential policies face criticism (especially from policy critics) as an unconstitutional means of subverting the executive-legislative power balance intended by the Constitution. Melvin C. Laracey, in this fascinating historical interpretation of presidential efforts to marshal public opinion in support of policy positions,...
When the American president cannot get his way with Congress on something of great importance to him, he often appeals "over the heads" of Congress, d...
