The Evolving American Presidency Series Series Foreword: The American Presidency touches virtually every aspect of American and world p olitics. And the presidency has become, for better or worse, the vital center of the American and global political systems. The Framers of the American government would be dismayed at such a result. As invented at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Presidency was to have been a part of a government with shared and overlapping pow- ers, embedded within a separation-of-powers system. If there was a vital center, it was the Congress; the Presidency was to be a part, but by no means, the centerpiece of that system. Over time, the presidency has evolved and grown in power, expectations, responsibilities, and authority. Wars, crises, depressions, industrialization, all served to add to the power of the presidency. And as the United States grew into a world power, presidential power also grew. As the United States became the world’s leading superpower, the presidency rose in prominence and power, not only in the U.S., but on the world stage. It is the clash between the presidency as invented and the presidency as it has developed that inspired this series. And it is the importance and power of the modern American presidency that makes understanding the office so vital. Like it or not, the American Presidency stands at the vortex of power both within the United States and across the globe. This Palgrave series recognizes that the Presidency is and has been an evolving i nstitution, going from the original constitutional design as a Chief Clerk, to today where the presi- dent is the center of the American political constellation. This has caused several key dilemmas in our political system, not the least of which is that presidents face high expectations with limited constitutional resources. This causes presidents to find extra- constitutional means of governing. Thus, presidents must find ways to bridge the expec- tations/power gap while operating within the confines of a separation-of-powers system designed to limit presidential authority. How presidents resolve these challenges and paradoxes is the central issue in modern governance. It is also the central theme of this book series. Michael A. Genovese Loyola Chair of Leadership Loyola Marymount University Palgrave’s The Evolving American Presidency, Series Editor The Second Term of George W. Bush edited by Robert Maranto, Douglas M. Brattebo, and Tom Lansford The Presidency and the Challenge of Democracy edited by Michael A. Genovese and Lori Cox Han Religion and the American Presidency edited by Mark J. Rozell and Gleaves Whitney Religion and the Bush Presidency edited by Mark J. Rozell and Gleaves Whitney Test by Fire: The War Presidency of George W. Bush by Robert Swansbrough American Royalty: The Bush and Clinton Families and the Danger to the American Presidency by Matthew T. Corrigan American Royalty The Bush and Clinton Families and the Danger to the American Presidency Matthew T. Corrigan AMERICAN ROYALTY Copyright © Matthew T. Corrigan, 2008. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published in 2008 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™ 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 and Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England RG21 6XS Companies and representatives throughout the world. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN-13: 978–1–4039–8416–6 paperback ISBN-10: 1–4039–8416–6 paperback ISBN-13: 978–1–4039–8415–9 hardcover ISBN-10: 1–4039–8415–8 hardcover Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Corrigan, Matthew T. American royalty : the Bush and Clinton families and the danger to the American presidency / Matthew T. Corrigan. p. cm.—(The evolving American presidency series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1–4039–8416–6 (alk. paper)—ISBN 1–4039–8415–8 (alk. paper) 1. Presidents—United States. 2. Bush family. 3. Clinton family. 4. United States—Politics and government—1989– 5. Aristocracy (Political science)—United States—History. I. Title. JK516.C618 2008 973.9209292—dc22 2007035183 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India. First edition: June 2008 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America. This book is dedicated to my parents, John and Patricia Corrigan for all of their love and support. This page intentionally left blank Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi One Introduction 1 Two American Democracy and Family Presidencies 11 Three Families Matter 29 Four The Father Begins a Dynasty 55 Five The Clintons Take Power 77 Six The Bush Redemption 111 Seven From First Lady to President? 153 Eight The Prince in Waiting 179 Notes 195 Bibliography 209 Index 219 This page intentionally left blank Preface This book presents a normative argument that multiple presidencies within immediate families do not serve the nation or the presidency well. Chapter 1 will briefly present the two basic ideas that challenge the concept of family presidencies. First, family connections and name recognition give tremendous advantages to presidential relatives who seek the office. These advantages undermine the concerns of the founders about a concentration of too much power in the hands of the few. Moreover, for the modern presidency, family legacies dilute democratic maturation in the nation’s politics. Second, family pres- sures and expectations can impact presidencies negatively especially in regards to policy outcomes. Chapter 2 will examine the role of the office of the presidency as a representative institution. As political scientist James Barber states, “the presidency is different. . . . The one figure that draws people’s hopes and fears for the political future.” In our democratic republic, the president has a unique role. The office and the person who inhab- its the office represent the entire nation. No legislator, governor, or appointee can make that claim. The background and family from which the president comes is important to how the president repre- sents the entire nation. This chapter also will consider how the found- ers viewed a potential familial monarchy in the United States. The political domination of the Bush and Clinton families in recent years goes against many of the ideas and limits that the founders put in place. The modern presidency also offers a paradox for family presi- dencies. Family political networks aid presidential candidates tremen- dously, but family expectations and past failures can haunt presidencies. Moreover, how other nations view the prominence of these two political families in a time when the United States is trying export democracy will also be discussed. Chapter 3 will show why family histories matter for presidents. Several examples of presidents and how their families impacted their presidencies will be discussed. The current standing of the Bushes and the Clintons will also be contrasted with other important historical, political families including the Adams, Roosevelts, and Kennedys. The reciprocal nature of the Bush-Clinton political relationship will be highlighted starting with the emergence of George Herbert