The Modern American Presidency: Second Edition, Revised and Updated

by Lewis L. Gould

Overview

When the first edition of this book appeared in 2003, it was chosen as a Main Selection of both the Book-of-the-Month Club and History Book Club and quickly became the standard work on the modern American presidency—from William McKinley through William Jefferson Clinton. In that original edition, Lewis L. Gould argued that, while the president may be the most powerful man in the world, most presidents have fallen well short of the daunting challenges that confronted them while in office.

During George W. Bush's two administrations, as Gould discusses in a substantial new chapter, those challenges grew in scope and ferocity, encompassing two intractable wars, natural disaster on an inconceivable scale, and a near-meltdown of the national and global economies. Unfortunately, Gould argues, President Bush was woefully unprepared for those challenges, failed spectacularly as a leader, and ultimately lost the public's trust. His failures further reinforce and underscore Gould's previous conclusions.

This new edition, like the first, offers a lively interpretive synthesis filled with intriguing insights into the presidency's evolution during America's rise to global prominence. Gould traces the decline of the party system, the increasing importance of the media and its role in creating the president-as-celebrity, and the growth of the White House staff and executive bureaucracy. He also shows us a succession of chief executives who increasingly have known less and less about the business of governing the country, observing that most would have had a better historical reputation if they had contented themselves with a single term.

Gould's sharply critical new chapter on George W. Bush's presidency notes how he and his associates extended the troubling trends of continuous campaigning, media manipulation, celebrity politics, and inattention to governance so characteristic of the modern presidential office. Gould also amplifies his commentary on the Clinton presidency and lays out the treacherous terrain that President Obama must now traverse.

Engagingly written for general readers and students in the classroom, but rigorous enough for the most demanding scholars, this book remains a must-read for everyone who cares about the future of our nation and the presidents who lead it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700616831
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Edition description:	Second Edition, Revised and Updated
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition

Foreword to the First Edition

Introduction

1. The Age of Cortelyou: William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt

2. The Lawyer and the Professor: William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson

3. The Modern Presidency Recedes: Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover

4. The Modern Presidency Revives and Grows: Franklin D. Roosevelt

5. The Presidency in the Cold War Era: Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower

6. The Souring of the Modern Presidency: John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson

7. The Rise of the Continuous Campaign: Richard Nixon

8. The Modern Presidency under Siege: Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter

9. The Modern Presidency in a Republican Era: Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush

10. Perils of the Modern Presidency: Bill Clinton

11. The Modern Presidency in Crisis: George W. Bush

Conclusion

Notes

Suggestions for Further Reading

Name Index

Subject Index

Editorial Reviews

"The book is rich both in interesting observation and the presidency and in astute accounts of each of the presidents from McKinley to Clinton."—American Historical Review

"A first-class study of the development of the modern American presidency from William McKinley through Bill Clinton."—Review of Politics

"One of the most effective and readable books on the American presidency to date. . . a case study on how an intellectual historian can tackle a seemingly impossible project and turn out serious important scholarship."—Journal of American History

"Gould’s superb style enables general readers, college students, and seasoned presidential scholars to understand the presidency in a new light. Breaking important new ground in our understanding of the presidency, but not in off-putting academic jargon, he propounds a convincing new theory that places the modern presidency in a significantly more accurate historical context."—The Historian

“An astute primer in executive power and privilege [and] a concise, intelligent survey of the transformations of the White House over the past century.”—Publishers Weekly

“A joy to read and pleasantly provocative, Gould’s masterful work is perfect for classroom use.”—History: Reviews of New Books

"Gould has written an engaging and enjoyable read that offers a fresh look at our most important national institution."—Rhetoric and Public Affairs

“Stylishly prepared and elegantly served up by one of America’s most thoughtful, and thought-provoking, scholars.”—Richard Norton Smith, noted PBS political commentator

“Should be required reading at the White House.”—Steven M. Gillon, author of The American Paradox

From the Publisher