The so-called ‘imperial presidency’ was a phrase created by the Harvard historian Arthur M. Schlesinger. It marked what he felt was a new era in the American Presidency and for the USA sparked by three events:
The Soviet Union had successfully tested its first nuclear weapon in 1949, four years after America. It was realised that decisions had to be reached quickly and this led to the office of president becoming more important. In addition, the perceived threat posed by the USSR, especially to Western Europe, meant that the United States took on the role of defending the West simply because no other state had the resources to do so after the Second World War. President Truman would be the first President in this imperial era followed by President Eisenhower and Kennedy - an era when the Presidency was increasingly powerful.
- The succession of Harry Truman as president
- The development of the atomic bomb
- The beginning of the Cold War.
The Soviet Union had successfully tested its first nuclear weapon in 1949, four years after America. It was realised that decisions had to be reached quickly and this led to the office of president becoming more important. In addition, the perceived threat posed by the USSR, especially to Western Europe, meant that the United States took on the role of defending the West simply because no other state had the resources to do so after the Second World War. President Truman would be the first President in this imperial era followed by President Eisenhower and Kennedy - an era when the Presidency was increasingly powerful.
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