The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents

S01E08

Mantle of Power 1965-2013

Since the mid 1960s, the power of the presidency has risen and fallen. It's been burdened by the personal failings of the men who occupied the office; by a Congress determined to reassert its power; by a skeptical and fragmented media; and by a public that had grown indifferent. The Cold War ended, but global terror networks rose to present a more complicated threat. Despite these new challenges, the power of the office has grown substantially--remaining the shining symbol of America s noble experiment in democracy.