The Biden Presidency: Politics, Policy, and Polarization

by Stephen J. Wayne

Overview

This book is among the first serious looks at the first 18 months of the Biden administration and its many challenges. From a tortured transition to a raging pandemic, a fragile economy, and the threat of international insecurity, Joe Biden entered office at a time even more fraught than that he faced as a new vice president. Confronting a nation divided sharply along political, cultural, and sociodemographic lines, Biden and Kamala Harris promised to unify the country, change the tone in Washington, mend fences with allies, and “build back better” a world assailed from stem to stern. This book assesses the successes and shortfalls of the Biden administration’s first 18 months in office, putting all in perspective of the current state of democracy in America. Intended to introduce students of American government to the person (Biden) and the institution (presidency) within a particular system (separation of powers), this book will appeal broadly to citizens, media, and general interest readers in the United States and abroad.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032010076
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/25/2022
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Stephen J. Wayne is Professor of Government Emeritus at Georgetown University. A Washington-based “insider” for more than 50 years, Wayne is frequently quoted by White House journalists and regularly appears on television and radio news shows. He has written or edited 12 books, published in 31 editions and more than 100 articles, chapters, and reviews that have appeared in professional journals, scholarly compilations, newspapers, and magazines.

Table of Contents

Photos, Tables, Boxes, and Comparative Capsules xi

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xxi

Part I The Preliminaries 1

Chapter 1 The 2020 Elections and Their Consequences 3

Chapter 2 The Transfer of Power 9

Part II The First 100 Days 27

Chapter 3 Early Days in the White House 29

Chapter 4 Contemporary Domestic Politics and Policymaking 41

Chapter 5 Restructuring Foreign Policy 57

Part III Presidential-Institutional Relationships 65

Chapter 6 The Biden Administration's Legislative Style 67

Chapter 7 Legislative Achievements, Delays, and Failures 75

Chapter 8 The Biden White House 101

Chapter 9 Biden as Chief Executive 117

Chapter 10 The President and the Legal System 131

Part IV The Public Presidency 141

Chapter 11 Biden's Bully Pulpit 143

Chapter 12 Public Opinion and Presidential Popularity 151

Part V The Evolving Biden Presidency 169

Chapter 13 Successes, Failures, and Ongoing Foreign Policy Concerns 171

Chapter 14 An Evaluation of the Biden Presidency 187

Appendix: Most Important Problems (in percent) 197

Index 199

Editorial Reviews

"In this book, Stephen Wayne, one of the most astute scholars of the presidency, presents a historically informed analysis of President Biden’s first year in office.Wayne’s sophisticated yet readily accessible analysis guides the reader through Biden’s transition into office, the successes and failures of his legislative agenda, and his foreign policy challenges.If you want to understand how the Biden presidency works, how it has dealt with its successes and setbacks, and its place in the modern presidency, this is a book you should read."

James P. Pfiffner, George Mason University

"In this book, Stephen Wayne, one of the most astute scholars of the presidency, presents a historically informed analysis of President Biden’s first year in office. Wayne’s sophisticated yet readily accessible analysis guides the reader through Biden’s transition into office, the successes and failures of his legislative agenda, and his foreign policy challenges. If you want to understand how the Biden presidency works, how it has dealt with its successes and setbacks, and its place in the modern presidency, this is a book you should read."

James P. Pfiffner, George Mason University

From the Publisher