August 06, 2024

#159: Corey Brettschneider - "The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It"

51 minutes

The first thing a president must do is swear to uphold the Constitution. But what happens when they betray that promise? Corey Brettschneider argues that it takes ordinary citizens to not only reign them in, but to make sure it never happens again. In "The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It," Professor Brettschneider profiles John Adams, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Woodrow Wilson and Richard Nixon, and explains how they fought to protect the American ideal of equality, for only a few Americans. From suspending the right to free speech, the right to vote and the right to enjoy freedom itself, Brettschneider shows how presidents have stepped out of bounds, and also how ordinary Americans insisted the country belongs to all.

Information on his book can be found at https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324006275

His website is https://www.coreybrettschneider.com/

He is on social media at https://x.com/brettschneiderc?lang=en

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