Presidential Power: Documents Decoded. By Brian M. Harward. Documents Decoded. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2016. 342 p. $81.00 (ISBN 978-1-6106-9829-0). E-book available (978-1-61069-830-6), call for pricing.

Debates of presidential powers are often tied to the founding documents of the United States of America and the documents produced by those who have held its highest office. Presidential Power, therefore, is a natural fit for ABC-CLIO’s Documents Decoded series. The introduction does a thorough job of explaining both the nuances of expressed and implied presidential powers as defined (or not) by the Constitution, and how these powers are expanded or constrained by the branches of government using concrete examples from US history.

The documents covered within the volume do not include the Constitution, which distinguishes its exploration of presidential powers from many other books on the subject. Instead, it illuminates documents that round out our understanding of presidential actions, such as proclamations, letters, speeches, Supreme Court opinions, reports, and memos. Different documents allow the reader to explore how the presidents themselves saw their powers, and to understand the thinking of those who agreed or disagreed with these assertions of executive authority. Though not directly presented or annotated, the Constitution is discussed within the other document annotations, providing Constitutional context that supports or refutes the claims made by document authors.

The volume presents sixty-four selected documents with context to explain not only the particular presidential powers being examined but also the people, politics, and other compounding forces that shape our government. Though documents from many presidential eras are explored, the largest groups of documents are from the presidencies of George W. Bush (twelve), Barack Obama (nine), and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (nine).

End matter includes a timeline that gives brief context for each event related to the presented documents, additional reading, and an index. The timeline is not particularly useful, as the documents are already presented in a chronological format, but it may be helpful for quick references. The additional readings are organized alphabetically by author, rather than by subject or time period, which may present a challenge for novice researchers.

In comparison to a similar work, CQ Press’s The Evolving Presidency: Landmark Documents, 1787–2015, edited by Michael Nelson (2015), there is some, but not much, overlap between documents explored. Additionally, Presidential Power is unique in its approach to annotate the primary sources themselves, instead of providing commentary ahead of or after the document text.

Presidential Power is a good resource for high school or undergraduate students exploring the presidency and its balance with the other branches of federal government. It exposes students to the use of primary documents—which are critical to this area of research—and provides enough context for those who are exploring the subject for the first time.—Emily Mross, Business and Public Administration Librarian, Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, Pennsylvania