Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency: Case Studies in Presidential Leadership / Edition 2

by Maxmillian Angerholzer III, James Kitfield, Norman Ornstein, Stephen Skowronek

Overview

Applying the lessons of presidential history, this anthology of case studies—written by leading political scientists, historians, and subject matter experts—delves into the many facets of the presidency and promotes a greater understanding of the presidency for policymakers, academics, students, and general readers alike.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history." One hundred and fifty years later, this statement remains true: the lessons of history are increasingly important at a time of political deadlock and growing skepticism of leadership among the American public. An established classic in its field, Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency underscores the importance of looking back to set an intelligent course for the future and promotes a better understanding of the U.S. presidency. This updated and revised second edition offers rare insights on presidential leadership since 2001 and adds considerable new information related to inter-term transitions.

The case studies in this single-volume work cover an unparalleled scope of "modern presidential history" and related topics, beginning with the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt and continuing to the presidency of Barack Obama. Examples of the events and subject matter of the case studies include the interstate transport system, the building of the social safety net, the civil rights movement, the space program, environmental protection, education reform, the IT revolution, energy policy, the budget, economic policy, foreign policy, national security, defense policy, and presidential scandals. Each case study highlights a historical lesson and is authored by a different political scientist, historian, or subject matter expert, offering readers a multidisciplinary examination of the presidency.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440840227
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/25/2016
Series:	Non-Series
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Maxmillian Angerholzer III serves as president and CEO of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC). He is also a senior adviser and the corporate secretary of the Richard Lounsbery Foundation in Washington, DC.

James Kitfield has written on defense, national security, and foreign policy issues for more than two decades. Currently a contributing editor at National Jourbanal, he is a three-time winner of the Gerald R. Ford Award for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense and a five-time winner of the Military Reporters and Editors Association and Medill School of Jourbanalism's top prize for excellence in reporting.

Norman Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a contributing editor and columnist for National Jourbanal and The Atlantic. Named as one of 2012's Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine, Ornstein led a working group that helped shape the campaign finance reform law known as McCain-Feingold.

Stephen Skowronek, PhD, is Pelatiah Perit Professor of Political and Social Science at Yale University. He has been a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and has held the chair in American civilization at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Section I: The Modern Presidency
1 The Constitution and Presidential Prerogative
Richard M. Pious
2 White House Rules: The Post–World War II Presidency
James P. Pfiffner
3 The 21st-Century Imperial Presidency
Andrew C. Rudalevige
4 The Nature of Presidential Leadership
George C. Edwards III
5 Rise of the Vice President
Richard M. Yon and Joseph Amoroso
6 In the Shadow of the Oval Office: The White House Staff
Kenneth M. Duberstein
7 Behind the Scenes Policy Makers: The Executive Branch
Sean Gailmard
8 Independent Money Managers: Presidents and the Federal Reserve
John T. Woolley
9 No Friends in Black Robes: Presidents and the Supreme Court
Stuart S. Taylor, Jr.
10 At Opposite Ends of Pennsylvania Avenue: Presidents and Congress
Richard E. Cohen
11 Social Media Jousting: Presidents and the Modern Media
Major Garrett
12 An Uneasy Alliance: Presidents and Their Party
Alexis Simendinger

Section II: The First Hundred Days
13 The First Hundred Days: Myth and Mystique
James P. Pfiffner
14 The Original Hundred Days: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Bruce Miroff
15 The First Hundred Days: Harry S. Truman
Brian Burbanes
16 The First Hundred Days: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Fred I. Greenstein
17 The First Hundred Days: John F. Kennedy
Charles Bartlett
18 The First Hundred Days: Lyndon B. Johnson
Michael Beschloss
19 The First Hundred Days: Richard Nixon
Lee Huebner
20 The First Hundred Days: Gerald Ford
Yanek Mieczkowski
21 The First Hundred Days: Jimmy Carter
Julian E. Zelizer
22 The First Hundred Days: Ronald Reagan
Lou Cannon
23 The First Hundred Days: George H.W. Bush
John P. Burke
24 The First Hundred Days: Bill Clinton
Charles O. Jones
25 The First Hundred Days: George W. Bush
Peter Baker
26 The First Hundred Days: Barack Obama
Jonathan Alter

Section III: Presidential Domestic Milestones
27 Bigger Than the Pyramids: Public Works and the Interstate Highway System
Geoffrey Perret
28 Top Dollar: Building a Global Economy
Katherine Theyson
29 Capitalism's Safety Net: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
Rudolph G. Penner
30 "We Shall Overcome": Presidential Leadership and Civil Rights
Kareem U. Crayton
31 A Giant Step for Mankind: The U.S. Space Program
Jeff Foust
32 A Tale of Two Presidents: Conservation and Environmental Protection
William D. Ruckelshaus
33 Federal Power and States' Rights: Defining American Federalism
Larry N. Gerston, Garrick L. Percival, and Mary Currin-Percival
34 Leaving None Behind: The Odyssey of Education Reform
Jesse H. Rhodes
35 Dawn of the Information Age: Presidents and the Internet
Reed E. Hundt
36 Boom and Busts: Presidents and the Politics of Energy
Guy Caruso
37 Depression's Shadow: Managing the Great Recession
Edwin M. Truman
38 Green Eye Shades in the Oval Office: Presidents and Budgets
Stanley E. Collender
39 Waging Financial Warfare: Economic Sanctions That Work
Juan C. Zarate

Section IV: National Security and Foreign Affairs
40 Atlas Ascendant: Building the "American Century"
James Kitfield
41 The 3 am Phone Call: Presidential Crisis Management
Michael K. Bohn
42 Harry Truman: Cold War Architect
Elizabeth Edwards Spalding
43 Dwight D. Eisenhower: The War Hero
Evan Thomas
44 John F. Kennedy: Bearing Liberty's Burden
Larry J. Sabato
45 Lyndon B. Johnson: Committed Warrior Undone by Vietnam
Marvin Kalb
46 Richard Nixon: Deeply Flawed Visionary
John Aloysius Farrell
47 Gerald Ford: The Healer
James Kitfield
48 Jimmy Carter: The Troubled Peacemaker
William B. Quandt
49 Ronald Reagan: The Overachiever
Lou Cannon
50 George H.W. Bush: Crafting a New World Order
James Kitfield
51 Bill Clinton: A Baby Boomer Takes Charge
Carl Cannon
52 George W. Bush: The Decider and Delegator
Peter Baker
53 Barack Obama: "Light Footprint," Heavy Burdens
David E. Sanger

Section V: Presidential Scandals
54 Watergate: Dirty Tricks and Cover-Ups
John Aloysius Farrell
55 Iran-Contra: Saving Reagan's Presidency
David M. Abshire
56 The Clinton Impeachment: Washington's Scorched Earth Politics
Kirk Victor

Notes
Selected Bibliography
Contributors
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Editors

What People are Saying About This

Mack McLarty

"Robert Penn Warren once observed that 'history cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.' This insightful CSPC anthology is testament to that—using engaging case studies from presidencies past to inform and inspire the policymakers of tomorrow."

Thomas J. Ridge

"When facing crisis, our leaders can often forget the valuable lessons of history and the solutions they suggest. Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency is an important resource for both policymakers and citizens to better understand the highest office in the land, the men who have occupied it, and the presidency’s role in Washington, at home, and abroad."

David Gergen

"Churchill once said that he who can see farther back can see farther ahead. And so it is with the modern presidency. The new president who takes office in January 2017—along with an accompanying team—will face a multitude of tough challenges. They will all see farther ahead by reading this valuable new book, Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency. Once again, the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress deserves a hearty salute."

Editorial Reviews

For this presidential election year, this book presents an illuminating and timely update.” —Library Jourbanal

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
Assessment of President Barack Obama's "light footprint" foreign policy and former president George W. Bush's decider/delegator personas are among new topics included in this second edition to an anthology that the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, a nonpartisan/nonprofit organization, first produced in 2000. The work is edited by Angerholzer (president, CEO, the Ctr. for the Study of the Presidency and Congress), James Kitfield (contributing editor, National Journal), Norman Orstein (resident scholar, the American Enterprise Inst.), and Stephen Skowronek (political & social science, Yale Univ.), and a host of well-known historians and journalists, including Ronald Reagan biographer Lou Cannon and the New York Times' David Sanger, author chapters organized within sections dedicated to the concept of modern presidency, the first 100 days of a presidency, domestic milestones, national security, foreign policy, and scandals. VERDICT For this presidential election year, this book presents an illuminating and timely update.—Judy Quinn, formerly with Library Journal

Library Journal