Providing both a historical and contemporary perspective on presidential powers, The Powers of the Presidency guides readers through the presidency as a constitutional office, covering how it was shaped by its design at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and by later constitutional amendments, Supreme Court decisions, and custom and precedent. It discusses the various roles of the chief executive, including chief of state, chief administrator, legislative leader, chief diplomat, commander in chief, and chief economist. The book begins with a chapter on the unilateral powers of the presidency.