The Obama administration is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent American history. In this book, a diverse group of presidential scholars step back from the partisan debate to consider the first two years of the Obama presidency through the lens of the U.S. constitution's theory, structure, and powers. They ask how Barack Obama understands and exercises the President's formal constitutional and informal powers and responsibilities of the president, from foreign policy and public policy to his political leadership of the Democratic party and the nation as a whole. This timely first look at the Obama presidency establishes a constitutional yardstick of interest to scholars of the presidency, constitutional thought, and American political thought.
Carol McNamara is senior lecturer in the Political Science Department at Utah State University. Melanie Marlowe is a lecturer of political science at Miami University.
Table of Contents
Foreword Chapter 1: The Obama Campaign Revolution: Presidential Electioneering in the Digital Age Chapter 2: Professor Obama and the Constitution Chapter 3: President Obama and Executive Independence Chapter 4: President Obama and Congress: Deference, Disinterest, or Collusion? Chapter 5: The Spirit is Partially Willing: The Legal Realism and Half-Hearted Minimalism of President Obama Chapter 6: President Obama, the Intelligence Community, and the War on Terror: "Change We Can Believe In?" Chapter 7: The End of Small Politics? Barack Obama and the Progressive Movement Chapter 8: Presidential Masks: Barack Obama and FDR Chapter 9: Barack Obama's Post-Racial Presidency: a New Joshua for a New Civil Rights Era Chapter 10: The Changing Face of Barack Obama's Leadership
What People are Saying About This
David Crockett
This book rises above the standard set by most "first look" or "first appraisal" volumes. It steps back from the typical list of policy arenas to examine the Obama presidency in the constitutional order, focusing both on the "Big C" Constitution as well as more fundamental regime questions. The coverage of essential issues—executive powers, interbranch relations—is well-handled, as are deeper questions such as the president's connection to progressivism in its many forms. As such, the book ably places President Obama and his administration in broader constitutional, historical, and philosophical context, all while remaining exceptionally relevant to contemporary concerns. Most of all, the book demonstrates the many ways in which the Constitution both empowers and constrains chief executives, regardless of party or ambition. Highly recommended.
Joseph Bessette
There is a necessary tension between the consitutional character of the presidential office and the occupant's connection to public opinion. No recent presidency better illustrates this tension than that of Barack Obama, the subject of this timely collection of essays.
Mark J. Rozell
An impressive collection of scholarly analyses of President Barack Obama's exercise of his constitutional and political powers. This books lays to rest the myth that Obama's presidency is fulfilling the pledge for fundamental change from the George W. Bush era. The authors present striking evidence of continuity with his predecessor's leadership.
