The Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency

by George C. Edwards III, William G. Howell

Overview

As the central feature of the American political landscape, it is only natural that scholars and commentators focus on the presidency. So much is written about the subject, in fact, that it is often difficult to know where we stand in our understanding of it. The Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency will help scholars assess the state of scholarship on the presidency and the directions in which it needs to move. Never before has the academic literature on the American presidency received such an extended treatment. Nearly three dozen chapters critically assess both the major contributions to the literature on the dimension of the presidency and the ways in which the literature has developed. The authors of each chapter seek to identify weaknesses in the existing literature—be they logical flaws, methodological errors, oversights, or some combination therein—and to offer their views about especially productive lines of future inquiry. Equally important, the authors also identify areas of research that are unlikely to bear additional fruit. These chapters offer a distinctive point of view, an argument about the successes and failures of past scholarship, and a set of recommendations about how future work ought to develop. Thus, this volume will help set the agenda for research on the presidency for the next decade.

The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics is an eight-volume set of reference books offering authoritative and engaging critical overviews of the state of scholarship on American politics. Each volume focuses on a particular aspect of the field. The project is under the General Editorship of George C. Edwards III, and distinguished specialists in their respective fields edit each volume. The handbooks aim not just to report on the discipline, but also to shape it as scholars critically assess the current state of scholarship on a topic and propose directions in which it needs to move. The series is an indispensable reference for anyone working in American politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199604418
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/30/2011
Series:	Oxford Handbooks
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	892
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.60(h) x 2.00(d)

About the Author

George C. Edwards III is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University and holds the Chair in Presidential Studies. A leading scholar of the presidency, he has written or edited 23 books on American politics and public policy making. He is also editor of Presidential Studies Quarterly and consulting editor of The Oxford Handbook of American Politics series. Professor Edwards has served as president of the Presidency Research Section of the American Political Science Association, which has named its annual dissertation prize in his honor and awarded him its Career Service Award.

William G. Howell is an Professor in American Politics in the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He has written widely on separation-of-powers issues and American political institutions, especially the presidency. His recent research examines how domestic political institutions constrain the president's ability to exercise military force abroad. Before coming to the Harris School, Howell taught in the government department at Harvard University and the political science department at the University of Wisconsin. In 2000, he received a Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction, George C. Edwards III and William G. HowellPart One: Approaches to Studying the Presidency2. Quantitative Approaches to the Study of the Presidency, William G. Howell3. Game Theory and the Study of the American Presidency, Brandice Canes-Wrone4. Historical Institutionalism, Political Development, and the Presidency, Scott C. JamesPart Two: Precursors to Governance5. Presidential Transitions, James P. Pfiffner6. Presidents and the Political Agenda, B. Dan WoodPart Three: The Public Presidency7. Public Expectations of the President, Dennis M. Simon8. Presidential Responsiveness to Public Opinion, James N. Druckman and Lawrence R. Jacobs9. Leading the Public, George C. Edwards III10. Understanding the Rhetorical Presidency, Terri Bimes11. Public Evaluations of Presidents, Paul Gronke and Brian Newman12. The Presidency and the Mass Media, Jeffrey E. CohenPart Four: The Legislative Presidency13. The President and Congressional Parties in an Era of Polarization, David W. Rhode and Meredith Barthelemy14. Legislative Skills, Stephen J. Wayne15. Presidential Approval as a Source of Influence in Congress, George C. Edwards III16. The Consequences of Divided Government, John J. Coleman and David C. W. Parker17. Connecting Interest Groups to the Presidency, Burdett A. LoomisPart Five: Unilateral Action18. Going Alone: The Presidential Power of Unilateral Action, Kenneth R. Mayer19. Prerogative Power and Presidential Politics, Richard M. Pious20. Assessing the Unilateral Presidency, Richard W. WatermanPart Six: Decision-Making21. Organizational Structure and Presidential Decision-Making, John P. Burke22. Influences on Presidential Decision-Making, Karen M. Hult and Charles E. Walcott23. The Psychology of Presidential Decision-Making, Stephen G. WalkerPart Seven: Implementing Policy24. Presidential Agendas, Administrative Strategies, and the Bureaucracy, Robert F. Durant and William G. Resh25. The Presidency-Bureaucracy Nexus: Examining Competence and Responsiveness, Anne M. KhademianPart Eight: Judicial Relations26. Nominating Federal Judges and Justices, Lee Epstein and Jeffrey A. Segal27. Judicial Checks on the President, Keith E. WhittingtonPart Nine: International Politics28. Presidents, Domestic Politics, and the International Arena, Douglas L. Kriner29. Presidents and International Cooperation, Jon C. Pevehouse30. War's Contributions to Presidential Power, William G. Howell and Tana JohnsonPart Ten: Reflections31. The Paradigm of Development in Presidential History, Stephen Skowronek32. Whose Presidency Is This Anyhow?, Hugh Heclo33. Political Scientists and the Public Law Tradition, Louis Fisher34. The Study of Leadership, George C. Edwards III

Editorial Reviews

"The Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency is an outstanding intellectual enterprise. No student of the American chief executive can afford to be without this landmark work."—Fred I. Greenstein, Professor Emeritus of Politics, Princeton University

"Edwards and Howell have assembled an extraordinary set of authors for this handbook, making it one of the most important contributions to the study of the presidency in the last decade. Such collections do not make original research contributions, but when well done they consolidate existing knowledge in a manner that is helpful to students and faculty; they flag lacunae in existing research and suggest fruitful directions for new research. The contributors to this volume are the acknowledged experts on the topics about which they write. Every essay is as close to comprehensive as is possible...The handbook is critical for any serious presidential scholar and is an essential addition to any college or university library collection. Summing Up: Essential. All readership levels."—CHOICE

"The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics are a grandly ambitious undertaking. Success depends on coverage, scholarship, and editorial command. Measured by these standards, the Handbooks will be immensely valuable to the discipline. The right topics are analyzed by knowledgeable scholars and managed by experienced editors. A five-star project that will influence teaching and research for decades."—Charles O. Jones, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

From the Publisher