The Politics of the Presidency

by John Anthony Maltese, Andrew Rudalevige, Joseph A. Pika

Overview

Get the most up-to-date coverage and analysis of the presidency with this comprehensive text.

Never losing sight of the foundations of the office, The Politics of the Presidency maintains a balance between historical context and contemporary scholarship on the executive branch, providing a solid foundation for any presidency course. Now in its Eleventh Edition, Maltese, Rudalevige, and Pika thoroughly analyze the change and continuity in Biden's first two and a half years in office and look forward to the competitive setting for the 2024 presidential race.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781071917251
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/19/2024
Edition description:	Eleventh Edition
Pages:	672
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

John Anthony Maltese is the Albert B. Saye professor of political science and associate

dean of the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs and was

named a University professor in 2023 in recognition of significant impact on the university

beyond normal academic responsibilities. He holds a Ph D from Johns Hopkins

University. He is the author of The Selling of Supreme Court Nominees and Spin Control:

The White House Office of Communications and the Management of Presidential News,

and coauthor with Joseph A. Pika and H. Phillips Shively of American Democracy in

Context. He is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and was named the

2004 Georgia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for

Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Professor Maltese also writes about

classical music, for which he won a Grammy Award from the National Academy of

Recording Arts and Sciences.

Andrew Rudalevige is the Thomas Brackett Reed professor of government at Bowdoin

College and former chair of the American Political Science Association’s Presidents

and Executive Politics section; in 2023-2024 he is a visiting professor at the London

School of Economics. He holds a Ph D from Harvard University and won the Richard

E. Neustadt Prize from the American Political Science Association for best book on the

U.S. presidency in 2003 and 2022, as well as the 2022 Louis Brownlow Prize from the

National Academy of Public Administration. His books include By Executive Order,

Managing the President’s Program, The New Imperial Presidency: Renewing Presidential

Power after Watergate, and, as coeditor, a volume on the Office of Management and

Budget and a series assessing recent presidencies. Prior to his academic career, he

worked in state and local politics in Massachusetts.

Joseph A. Pika is the James R. Soles professor emeritus of political science and international

relations at the University of Delaware. He holds a Ph D from the University

of Wisconsin and taught previously at SUNY at Buffalo. He is coauthor with Jason D.

Mycoff of Conflict & Compromise: Presidential and Congressional Leadership, 2001–

2006 and coauthor with John Anthony Maltese and H. Phillips Shively of American

Democracy in Context. He served for seven years on the Delaware State Board of

Education, four years as president.

Table of Contents

Part I: The President and the Public
Chapter 1: The Changing Presidency
The Constitutional Underpinnings of Presidential Power
Expansion of the Presidency
Popular Expectations
Conclusion: The Changeable, Political Presidency
Chapter 2: Election Politics
Evolution of the Selection Process
Defining the Pool of Eligibles
Competing for the Nomination
The National Convention
The General Election
Validation
Conclusion: Transitions to Governing
Chapter 3: Public Politics
Public Attitudes toward the Presidency
Rallying Public Support
Conclusion: The Permanent Campaign
Chapter 4: Presidential Character and Performance
Determinants and Evaluations of Performance
What Manner of Person?
Psychological Characteristics of U.S. Presidents
Management Styles of Modern Presidents
Understanding Presidents: Donald J. Trump and Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Conclusion: Seeking Presidential Success
Part II: The President and the Government
Chapter 5: Legislative Politics
Three Confrontations in Interbranch Relations
Development of the President’s Legislative Role
The President’s Formal Legislative Powers
The President’s Informal Legislative Influence
Explaining Presidents’ Legislative Success
Congressional Oversight
Conclusion: Legislating Together
Chapter 6: Executive Politics
The President as Executive
The President and the Executive Branch
The President and the Cabinet
The Vice President
The First Lady (soon First Spouse)
Presidential Control of the Bureaucracy
Presidential Management of the Bureaucracy
Conclusion: The Frustrating Search for Control
Chapter 7: Judicial Politics
Presidential Appointment of Federal Judges
Other Presidential Influences on the Federal Courts
Judicial Oversight of Presidential Action
Conclusion: A Balancing Act
Part III: The President and Public Policy
Chapter 8: The Politics of Domestic Policy
The Domestic Policy Process
The Domestic Policy Environment
The Domestic Policy Apparatus
Conclusion: Providing Policy Leadership
Chapter 9: The Politics of Economic Policy
Macroeconomic Policy
Microeconomic Policy
Presidents and the Economy: 1933–2023
The Economic Subpresidency
Presidents and Economic Policy Coordination
Congress’s Role in Macroeconomic Policy
Conclusion: Avoiding Economic Disorder
Chapter 10: The Politics of Foreign Policy
The Problem with Foreign Policymaking
The President, Congress, and National Security
Organizing and Managing National Security
Conclusion: Limiting the Exercise of Power
Chapter 11: Joseph R. Biden Jr.: Moving Past Midterm, Looking Towards 2024
Advantages and Obstacles as Biden Took Office
Taking Office, Staffing the Executive Branch, and Appointing Judges
Establishing a Policy Record
Conclusion: Prospects for 2024
Appendix A: Result of Presidential Contests, 1912–2020
Appendix B: Personal Backgrounds of U.S. Presidents
Appendix C: The Constitution of the Presidency

Editorial Reviews

The Politics of the Presidency is well-designed and -written, easy for students to comprehend, and all-around useful in laying out the key facets and concepts of the American presidency. It is deep in its material without being dense and approachable without sacrificing rigor. I have not seen a text on the American presidency that does a better job of laying clear the history, powers, and limitations of the modern chief executive.

Michael Julius

The authors’ approach puts politics front and center in the study of the presidency. The Politics of the Presidency is clearly the work of senior scholars who have devoted many years to the study of the presidency and scholarship on the office. They know a lot about the office and convey what they know to students in a well-organized and well-written manner.”

Andrew Battista

I use The Politics of the Presidency in my undergraduate presidency courses because the essential topics are thoroughly covered in a style that is both readable and interesting. The cases and examples are always well-chosen and up-to-date, and the special circumstances and challenges facing the current president can be easily compared to enduring presidential responsibilities such as domestic politics, economic policy, and national security.

Bruce Buchanan