These books examine the executive branch and its power
throughout U.S. history. The Cult of the Presidency: America’s
Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power  By Gene Healy The Bush
years have given rise to fears of a resurgent Imperial
Presidency, but Healy argues the problem cannot be solved simply
by bringing a new administration to power. Combining historical
scholarship, legal analysis, and cultural commentary, The Cult
of the Presidency argues that the office of chief executive
needs to be reined in, with its powers checked by Congress and
the courts. Only then will we begin to return the presidency to
its proper constitutional role. Takeover: The Return of the
Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy  By
Charlie Savage Savage investigates how the Bush-Cheney
administration has seized vast, unprecedented powers for the
presidency. He argues that such imperialism stands to
permanently alter the constitutional balance of American
democracy. The Power of the American Presidency: 1789-2000