Download or read book The Reconstruction Presidents written by Brooks D. Simpson and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brooks Simpson examines the policies of each administration in depth and evaluates them in terms of their political, social, and institutional contexts. Simpson explains what was politically possible at a time when federal authority and presidential power were more limited than they are now. He compares these four leaders' handling of similar challenges - such as the retention of political support and the need to build a southern base for their policies - in different ways and under different circumstances, and he discusses both their use of executive power and the impact of their personal beliefs on their actions.