The Guide to the Presidency is an extensive study of the most important office of the U.S. political system. Its two volumes describe the history, workings and people involved in this office from Washington to Clinton. The thirty-seven chapters of the Guide, arranged into seven distinct subject areas (ranging from the origins of the office to the powers of the presidency to selection and removal) cover every aspect of the presidency. Initially dealing with the constitutional evolution of the presidency and its development, the book goes on to expand on the history of the office, how the presidency operates alongside the numerous departments and agents of the federal bureaucracy, and how the selection procedure works in ordinary and special cicumstances. Of special interest to the reader will be the illustrated biographies of every president from Washington to the present day, and the detailed overview of the vice-presidents and first ladies of each particular office. Also included are two special appendices, one of which gathers together important addresses and speeches from the Declaration of Independence to Clinton's Inaugural Address, and another which provides results from elections and polls and statistics from each office.

In Washington, D.C., a city steeped in history--from museums and monuments to statues and stations--there are perhaps no structures as prominent as the working symbols of the United States' three-branch government: the White House, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court. Embodying our nation's complex and, at times, tumultuous history, these buildings also house invaluable pieces of our American past. A visit to these national treasures provides a lesson in both the people and events that have shaped this country. Representing the heart, soul, and strength of American independence, the White House, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court tell a fascinating true story--one that includes presidents, vice presidents, senators, justices, and political visionaries. Touring the buildings, visitors see such familiar faces as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Susan B. Anthony, as well as learn about lesser-known figures such as Chippewa warrior Beeshekee, Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite, and Vice Presidents Daniel Tompkins and William R. King. The paintings and portraits that adorn the walls, the statues in every corner, and the rooms themselves provide commentary on the political life of a developing nation.

Interdisciplinary essays on the White House and the lives of first families.