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On the sixth and final episode in our series on the presidency, University of Texas professor Dr. Jeremi Suri discusses his book, "The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office." He explains how the position was created, and how early occupants unwittingly set precedents that would lead to the job of president becoming too big to succeed. He explains how the slew of presidential responsibilities, from domestic and foreign policy, the economy, acting as the head of party, the voice of the people and the commander-in-chief of a gigantic military has weighed down presidents to the point where they're essentially overwhelmed. He also explains how the American people should adjust their expectations of the president, and how the contours of the job can be changed to make it possible to succeed.

Dr. Suri can be reached on Twitter @JeremiSuri

His podcast, "This is Democracy" can be found @https://podcasts.la.utexas.edu/this-is-democracy

Axelbank Reports History and Today is available on Twitter and Instagram @axelbankhistory

Here is a schedule of release dates for episodes as part of our series on the presidency:

***September 29th: James Poniewozik - "Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television and the Fracturing of America"

***September 29th: Steven Levingston - "Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership"

***October 6th: Stephen Knott - "The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal"

***October 13th: Lindsay Chervinsky - "The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution"

***October 20th: A.J. Baime - "Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America's Soul"

***October 27th: Jeremi Suri - "The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office"

We do want to invite listeners to our Patreon page, to ask for your support in keeping the show going, which is www.patreon.com/axelbankhistory. 

We do not accept contributions over $5 and any monthly amount we raise over $31 - which is the exact cost to produce the show - is given to charity.

History Shorts
Daily bite-sized history stories and conversations with leading voices in history today.

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