American politics has been dominated by two major political parties for large swaths of time. They raise money, put forward candidates at every level of government, get them elected, and - for better or worse - keep them there. It's a system that was spearheaded by Martin Van Buren, the eighth president. Though his administration was a bust, he has influenced public life since he left office in 1841. James Bradley is an editor of the Van Buren Papers, and argues on this episode that Van Buren may not belong in the proverbial presidential hall of fame, but that he must be studied and remembered.

Information on James Bradley's book from Oxford University Press can be found here

The website for the Van Buren Papers can be found at https://vanburenpapers.org/

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