Presidential Leadership

Book excerpt: PUBLISHING JANUARY 3, 2020! This book is about the leadership dilemma that all presidents face. First they must win election. Once in office, they need to obtain the public’s support, win Congress’s backing for legislation, make wise decisions, and implement a vast array of policies. The authors examine how presidents attempt to fulfill their responsibilities, exercise their powers, and utilize their organizational structures to affect the output of government. To do so, they posit two models of presidential leadership: one in which a strong president dominates his environment as a director of change, and one in which the president has a more limited role as facilitator of change. These models provide students with a framework with which to better understand leadership in the modern presidency, and evaluate the performance of individual presidents. The eleventh edition is richly illustrated with timely examples and wide-ranging coverage of the Trump presidency in every chapter. Moreover, separate chapters are devoted to essential aspects of President Trump’s approach to governing such as on media relations, leading the public, and decision making. New to this Edition Expanded treatment of the president’s constitutional authority and the development of presidential powers Explanation of political science research on the 2016 presidential election Extensive discussions of unilateral action Historical development of presidential staff and White House Organization Donald Trump’s challenge to longstanding norms and practices