Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky is an expert in the cabinet, presidential history, and U.S. government institutions. She is Scholar in Residence at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona College and Senior Fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies. She also teaches on the American Presidency at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. Previously, she was a historian at the White House Historical Association and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. She received her B.A. in history and political science from the George Washington University, and completed her masters and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. She is the author of the award-winning The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, which was published by Belknap / Harvard University Press in April 2020. Her work has also been published in the Washington Post, TIME, American Heritage, USA Today, History News Network, and more.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
President George Washington was the first to issue proclamations or executive orders. Their use peaked under Franklin Roosevelt, but they have been used fewer times in recent presidencies. Will Biden reverse the trend?
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
When presidents take the oath of office, they are expected to protect America against attack. But what about pandemics and economic depressions? Here’s a brief history of how presidents have handled different threats.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
Next week the U.S. Senate will begin its second impeachment trial of President Trump, who has already left office. A look back at what has happened in previous trials sheds some light on what might happen next week.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
His appointments are set to break barriers and establish new precedents when it comes to diversity. A look back at past cabinets shows how norms and customs have been slow to change.
For more than two centuries, the vice president has held little power, despite the position’s prominence. That may be changing, but the story of the No. 2 job in America is full of historical quirks.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
Worried we may have to wait to find out whether Biden or Trump won? In 1800, election results were delayed for months. And don’t forget 2000, when legal battles prolonged the final results until Dec. 12.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reflects a long history of presidents' efforts to define the Supreme Court, beginning with George Washington.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
Before he was our fifth president, Monroe was Virginia’s governor at a time when yellow fever was deadly and hard to control. Setting aside ideology, he prevented a health crisis despite his disdain for strong government.