Description
Book SynopsisAll American presidents, past and present, have cared deeply about power--acquiring, protecting, and expanding it. While individual presidents obviously have other concerns, such as shaping policy or building a legacy, the primacy of power considerations--exacerbated by expectations of the presidency and the inadequacy of explicit powers in the Con
Trade Review"Thinking about the Presidency is a relatively brief book which would do well in any survey-level course on executive leadership or the structure of American government... By looking at the presidency through the lens of expanding presidential power, Howell and Brent left this reader asking for more: such as why government works this way or why Congress reacts as it does. That it leaves open those questions indicates that this book is a valuable addition to any graduate-level course."--Seth Offenbach, Journal of American Studies
Table of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xv Chapter 1. On Being President 1 Chapter 2. Bearing Witness 20 Chapter 3. Constitutional Foundations 55 Chapter 4. Contrasting Conceptions of Executive Leadership 71 Chapter 5. Misguided Entreaties 92 Chapter 6. What Failure Looks Like 106 Chapter 7. Limits 128 Appendix: Article II of the U.S. Constitution 145 Notes 149 Suggested Readings 169 Index 173
