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"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource."
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The Third Term Tradition
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| Parent | Parent |
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| Title | The Third Term Tradition |
| ASIN | -
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| Category | History |
| Contributor | Chronicler |
| Last Modified | Chronicler - November 17, 2008 05:26pm |
| Description | Author: Charles W. Stein
Complete title: The Third Term Tradition: Its Rise and Collapse in American Politics
NYC: Columbia Univ. Press, 1943
In this book, Stein discussed the rise and fall of the reticence of the American voter to give one man a third term as President of the United States. He discusses the arguments on both sides and concludes by stating that allowing a third (or fourth) term will not lead to a dictatorship.
The book is divided into three main sections. The first section documents the "birth of the tradition." In this section, Stein discusses the movements to convince early Presidents such as Washington and Jefferson to run for a third term. In the second section, the author discusses "attempts which miscarried," specifically Garfield, T.R., and Woodrow Wilson. The author has a proclivity to criticize TR and included several plates of cartoons making fun of TR, even in parts of the book that do not concern him. The third section deals with FDR's third campaign in 1940.
Although the author has attempted to be objective in his reporting, his partisanship is evident throughout the text. He expended 44 pages on Woodrow Wilson's administration, half of which was not relevant to the thesis but provided an opportunity to discuss what the author perceived as wise decisions by Wilson. He also included Coolidge in the section on Presidents who sought a third term, though in fact Coolidge did not do so.
Overall, the book ranks as above average. Many historic tidbits reported here are reported in most other sources, but it is possible that Stein found them (or some of them) first. In any case, the book is a good read. |
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