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Lindsay Chervinsky knew other historians had written extensively about America’s second president, John Adams. 

January 6, 2021, when an insurrection at the nation’s capitol ended the tradition of peacefully transferring power in the U.S. — a tradition that started with Adams himself. 

In her new book, “Making the Presidency,” Chervinsky looks back at Adams life and focuses on how George Washington’s successor shaped the presidency in the final years of the 18th century. She argues that it was Adams who established political norms for the executive branch — norms that are quickly being discarded by the current administration. 

What can the second president teach us about our country’s 47th? That’s on this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas. 

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Historian Lindsay Chervinsky’s new book, “Making the Presidency,” is a profile of John Adams. But it’s also an instructive examination of how the presidency has evolved to become what it is today. 

Lindsay Chervinsky’s new book ‘Making the Presidency’ teaches us about the past and present

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