The American President
Season 1
“The American President” is a series that aired on PBS in 2000 profiling 41 U.S. chief executives, using exclusive interviews with Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, and Carter. Well known figures lend their voice to presidents of the past who lived before sound recordings, including: Colin Powell, Bob Dole, Walter Cronkite, Ben Bradlee, John Glenn, James Carville, Andrew Young, and the Rev. Billy Graham. Narrated by Hugh Sidey.
Where to Watch Season 1
10 Episodes
- Family TiesE1
Episode 1Family TiesProfiling four men whose family ties helped landed them in the Oval Office: John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Harrison, John F. Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt, who "saw the Presidency as almost family property," says historian Richard Neustadt. Time magazine White House correspondent Hugh Sidey hosts. Voice of Adams: George Will. Voice of Harrison: former Secretary of State Alexander Haig. - HappenstanceE2
Episode 2HappenstanceNearly one in six American presidents has died in office. The vice presidents who succeeded them were often chosen because they provided some electoral advantage (John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur, Harry Truman). What happens when such a man takes office – frequently facing widespread conviction that he is unworthy of the powers he inherits? - An Independent Cast of MindE3
Episode 3An Independent Cast of MindIs an independent cast of mind the best approach to the presidency? The four men profiled in this hour (John Adams, Zachary Taylor, Rutherford B. Hayes and Jimmy Carter) pursued a course that took little account of political affiliation, becoming presidents, in essence, without being politicians. Taken together, they present a cautionary tale: all had difficult presidencies, and neither of the two who sought a second term was granted one. - The Professional PoliticianE4
Episode 4The Professional PoliticianIn our nation’s early years, taking part in political affairs was considered a duty and an honor, but not a way of life. It was not long, however, before the professional politicians, and the parties they represented, began to find their way to the White House (Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon B. Johnson). While the skills necessary for political success can be helpful to a president, they are not sufficient to guarantee success in the office. - The American WayE5
Episode 5The American WayPart 5 profiles Thomas Jefferson, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover and Ronald Reagan, four Presidents whose idea of "the American way" was a "smaller, simpler government," says narrator Hugh Sidey. Voices: former UN ambassador Andrew Young (Jefferson); former Massachusetts governor William Weld (Coolidge); former senator Robert Dole (Hoover). - The World StageE6
Episode 6The World StageThe president has no greater responsibility than representing the nation on the world stage. These four men (James Monroe; William McKinley; Woodrow Wilson; George H.W. Bush) engaged in this task at critical times in our national history and their achievements on the world stage stand as their most durable legacy. - The Heroic PostureE7
Episode 7The Heroic PostureFrom the beginning, the presidential office has beckoned to national heroes renowned for their selfless service to their country (George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight Eisenhower). This affinity is especially strong for men of military fame, for the president is formally commander-in-chief as well as symbolically the steward to the national interest. - Compromise ChoicesE8
Episode 8Compromise ChoicesWith the rise of political parties came the dawn of political compromise: nominees were selected because they were less offensive to some voters than those who might have been the best candidates (Franklin Pierce, James Garfield, Warren G. Harding, Gerald Ford). Two of the men profiled in this hour found the presidency beyond their abilities, while two proved themselves worthy of having been called to the highest office in the land. - Expanding PowerE9
Episode 9Expanding PowerThough the powers of the presidency have expanded with the growth of the nation, the process has been anything but smooth. These four presidents are benchmarks in the development of executive power (Andrew Jackson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon). Three stretched the office to its constitutional limits; the fourth overstepped those limits and brought on a new era of presidential weakness. - The Balance of PowerE10
Episode 10The Balance of PowerThe final episode examines presidential leadership in an era of an increasingly divided government. The American presidency was conceived as one part of a larger system of institutions, and its effectiveness rests in part upon a good measure of cooperation among the branches. The presidents arrayed in this episode (James Madison, James Polk, William Howard Taft, Bill Clinton) suggest four different conceptions of governance within a constitutionally structured balancing act.
Cast of Season 1
