Bill of Rights Institute's video: Stephen F Knott: Demagoguery Restraint and the American Presidency Part 2 BRI Scholar Talks

How does a constitutional presidency reflect admirable qualities, and, alternatively, how can a "populist presidency" degrade the office? In a two-part series, BRI Senior Teacher Fellow Tony Williams is joined by author and professor in the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval War College, Stephen Knott, to explore these questions by looking back at the most significant presidents in American history and how they defined their times in office. In Part Two of their discussion, Knott explains how "populist presidency" expanded in the 20th century with idealistic leaders like Woodrow Wilson, while presidents William Howard Taft and Dwight Eisenhower upheld a healthy balance of power and restraint. Knott is the author of "The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal." 0:00 - Intro 1:46 - Constitutional Presidency vs. Populist Presidency 6:00 - Woodrow Wilson 13:50 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt 18:27 - Constitutional Presidencies of the 20th Century 24:15 - Technology and Increasing Populism 29:50 - The Role of the Citizenry and Shaping the View of the Presidency 33:14 - Restoring the Lost Soul of the American Presidency 35:54 - Outro Woodrow Wilson and the Treaty of Versailles: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/lessons/woodrow-wilson-and-the-treaty-of-versailles About Stephen F. Knott: Stephen F. Knott is a professor in the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval War College. He co-chaired the Presidential Oral History Program at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. He has taught teachers for many years at the graduate school program at the Ashbrook Center of Ashland University. He has written numerous books including "Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance That Forged America and Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth." He is currently at work on a book on the presidency of John F. Kennedy. His website is www.stephenfknott.com. About the Bill of Rights Institute: Established in September 1999, the Bill of Rights Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that works to engage, educate, and empower individuals with a passion for the freedom and opportunity that exist in a free society. The Institute develops educational resources and programs for a network of more than 50,000 educators and 70,000 students nationwide. Official Site: http://billofrightsinstitute.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BillofRightsInstitute Twitter: https://twitter.com/brinstitute Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brinstitute/ BRI Educator Newsletter Sign Up Page: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/newsletter-signup