The American President: The Balance of Power

The final episode examines presidential leadership in an era of an increasingly divided government. The American presidency was conceived as one part of a larger system of institutions, and its effectiveness rests in part upon a good measure of cooperation among the branches. The presidents arrayed in this episode (James Madison, James Polk, William Howard Taft, Bill Clinton) suggest four different conceptions of governance within a constitutionally structured balancing act.

“The American President” is a series that aired on PBS in 2000 profiling 41 U.S. chief executives, using exclusive interviews with Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, and Carter. Well-known figures lend their voice to presidents of the past who lived before sound recordings, including: Colin Powell, Bob Dole, Walter Cronkite, Ben Bradlee, John Glenn, James Carville, Andrew Young, and the Rev. Billy Graham. Narrated by Hugh Sidey.

Chapter Markers:
James Madison - Creating The Balance 1809-1817 (0:50)
James K. Polk - Young Hickory 1845-1849 (11:07)
William Howard Taft - A Balancing Act 1909-1913 (22:15)
Bill Clinton - Second Chances 1993-2001 (33:51)

© Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

#TheAmericanPresident #kunhardtfilmfoundation

[JohnBarnett-uj]

Thanks for these memories ❤ John Barnett revisited September 12 2024 ❤❤❤

[thijshagenbeek]

The ideal president has the morals of Lincoln, the can do attitude of Washington, the heart for the people like Theodore Roosevelt, the economic mindset of Franklin Roosevelt, the abillity to bond like Kennedy and a way with words like Reagan.

[thattimestampguy]

0:01
0:23 Episode 10: Balance of Power

_Creating The Balance_
0:42 James Madison
1813-1817 “If men were angels…”
1:37 James Madison, very bright man. Synthesized ideas.
1:57 Richard E. Neustadt.

*Creating The 3 Branches of America’s Government* 🇺🇸
2:09 Continental Congressman
2:34 Summer of 1786, to
3:05 Philadelphia in 1787
4:27 Bill of Rights!
5:06 The Constitution was signed ✍🏼
6:10 George Washington’s Cabinet Member

*James Madison As President*
6:17 James Madison
*The Balance of Power - Concluding Statements*
7:48 The White House 🏠
9:33 Balance of Power
10:12 Seeking Middle Ground

*James K. Polk*
10:42 James K. Polk 1845-1849
Loyal, Hardworking Jacksonian
Staunch Democrat
Manifest Destiny
11:45 Young Hickory’s desire to Annex Texas

*Election of 1844*
12:44 May 10th, 1844
13:14 James K. Polk didn't know he would be The Democrat Party Nominee.
13:47 Young Hickory. He was 49 Years Old.
14:07 Samuel Morse typed out Polk's Inaugural Address in Morse Code.

*Manifest Destiny*
15:27 Manifest Destiny
16:04 The Mexican-American War.
16:26
17:03
17:12 Saturday, May 9th, 1846.
17:33 The Mexican Army had attacked American Soldiers.
18:06 Polk's Armies bludgeoned Mexico.
18:45 America obtains California and The American Southwest.
19:13 Polk won through Conquest and Treaty and Payment of $15 Million Dollars.
19:48 Polk did alot.

*Polk departs The Presidency*
20:16
20:43 James K. Polk destroyed his health in the 4 years as President
21:12 Seriously ill, and dying.

*William Howard Taft*
21:45 William Howard Taft.
22:26 Paddle my own canoe.
22:50 He was enormous! A Thoroughly nice man.
23:14 He was not a politician.

*Early Life*
23:28
24:00 Solicitor General, Circut Court Judge.
24:20 Helen Taft.
24:40 Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of War.
25:16 1908 Roosevelt pushes for Taft to win The Presidency.

*The William Howard Taft Presidency*
25:40

25:58 The William Howard Taft Presidency
26:59 Richard E. Neustadt
27:58 Roosevelt’s criticisms hurt Taft’s feelings

29:23 Taft vs Roosevelt
30:02 Drama
30:36 Taft was not a politician
31:31 Taft
32:15 Dignity
32:34 Balance

*Bill Clinton*
46:46
47:17 Personality, Conquered all kinds of doubts about him.
47:47 The Senate did not convict Bill Clinton of the charges.
48:17 The Power of The People;
48:30 Certain Rules of Conduct. Nobody Gets out for Free.
48:50 The American People gave me a second chance.
49:12 Asking For Forgiveness in Public. Focusing on The Big Things.
49:47 The Only Democrat to be re-elected since FDR.
50:13 From Nixon on, every president attracts the serious intent of political opponents in tearing down and pushing him towards Resignation.

50:43 Fixed Term --> Unfixed Term since Richard Nixon.
51:08 Incentives to Shorten The Term.


*Concluding Statements - The American President* 🇺🇸
51:31 The Presidency, well into it's 3rd century, is not the same as it once was.
51:42 Our early presidents worked virtually alone, with a single secretary or two, paid out of their own pocket.
51:51 Today the White House staff numbers more than 500.
51:56 All together the executive branch consists of almost 2 Million.
52:01 From Humble Beginnings, an almost baffling complexity has arisen.

52:08 A Single Person who must shoulder The Office.

52:15 However he, someday she,
52:20 Whether through Heroism or Compromise
52:23 Through Family Ties or Through Happenstance.
52:28 Through Political Savvy or Passionate Vision.
52:32 Or Lonely Integrity.

*The American President*
52:35 Each inherits and builds upon the works of his predecessors.
52:40 Bringing to bear talents, and also human flaws,
52:45 and sometimes a rare capacity to rise to greatness.

52:49 These individuals together, embody The American President.

52:59 Credits

[Slimpickinsorl]

We’ve had some good presidents. Flawed but decent human beings.

[ServantoftheDivine]

I’m at 18:46 and predicting FDR is in this one

[isar-wdpx]

سلام عرض ادب عالی جناب پریسدنت اقای کلینتون خوشتیب وعزیز بزرگوار ارزشمن دوستون دارم همیشه نیکی ازشما یاد میکنم ❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😊

[mr.c]

"Listened to the people?" What about looking at the evidence and what it showed? Trials are not popularity contests, They're supposed to be based on facts and evidence not opinions

[TyroneNorwood]

Now I understand better how we got Trump and MAGA. This partisan politics started with Clinton.

[williamsnyder]

One wonders if the almost heroic words at the end of the documentary would have been spoken if the President's termhad ended in 2020.

[kidmohair]

the Tonkin Gulf incident...
of 1846.
the US has a habit of manufacturing "justifications" for war.
doesn't it.

[tahoetom]

The balance of power or the abuse of power?

[joelamthach]

Common guys Mr Clinton a young man he needs to have fun a liittle bit with the young lady 😅

[AbrahamDIATTA-wsbq]

SEPT11 FDT PDT ETC WORKERS ALL MANKIND CAN YOU ACCEPT WE POLITIC WILL BE OUR LIVING LIFE FOREVER WORLD WIDE NATIONS ONLY USA AND SOVIET FOREVER ??? THANK YOU OLD EQ YOUNG FOREVER.

[streetglideyp]

Just sad looking at that man. Really just too bad for him his family and country

[stellarmonk]

This is obviously a form of lying propaganda😂