The Basics

Let's start this off with an introduction before we dive into the deeper intricacies of American Politics that David C. Unger, author of The Emergency State, has to offer us (believe me, there are plenty).




First of all, me. I am a 16-year-old high school junior. I enjoy dancing and running and all that jazz, but I'm here because I am in the midst of my AP US History course, and am required to present a book about US History in an unusual way. Enter: Blog.




Now for the book. In The Emergency State, Unger tells of the demise of the precious American Democracy under Presidents who have proven more eager to wage war than to uphold the integrity of the constitution or abide by its limitations. In other words, he says that the presidents lately have been on a somewhat major power trip--so much so that it has changed or destroyed the key inherent values of our country.




Honestly, it gets a bit dense, and at times you find yourself lost in a sea of unintelligible acronyms, searching desperately for a life boat (thank you google) so that you might avoid death by confusion. That being said, I can't deny that it was legitimately interesting, and the sense of self-satisfaction was overwhelming when I was finished. So, bear with me, and hopefully we can make some sense of this by the time I'm done here. 




Disclaimer: I will be referring back to the book throughout the blog, as well as a wonderful review of the book from the NY times by Karen J. Greenberg (Citation below and throughout blog posts).