Backlash Presidents: From Transformative to Reactionary Leaders in American History

How most presidents avoid upsetting the racial status quo—and why those who do pave the way for lawless, norm-violating successors

When Barack Obama won the White House in 2008, becoming the nation’s first Black president, the stage was set for Donald Trump’s eventual rise to power. Backlash Presidents shows how, throughout American history, administrations that challenge the country’s racial status quo are followed by presidents who deal in racially charged politics and presidential lawless...