Understanding the Presidency

Preface



Section 1: Constitutional Origins of the Presidency

Reading 1: James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, James Madison

Reading 2: Federalist No. 69, Alexander Hamilton

Reading 3: Federalist No. 70, Alexander Hamilton

Reading 4: To the Citizens of the State of New York, George Clinton

Reading 5: Reevaluating the Electoral College, James P. Pfiffner



Section 2: Historical Perspectives on the Presidency

Reading 6: The Strict Constructionist Presidency, William Howard Taft

Reading 7: The Stewardship Presidency, Theodore Roosevelt

Reading 8: The Public Presidency, Woodrow Wilson

Reading 9: The Prerogative Presidency, Abraham Lincoln

Reading 10: The Presidency in the Political Order, Stephen Skowronek



Section 3: Selecting Presidents: Campaigns, Elections, and Mandates

Reading 11: Nomination Politics, Party Unity, and Presidential Elections, James E. Campbell

Reading 12: A High Speed Chase: Presidential Aspirants and the Nomination Process, Lara M. Brown

Reading 13: The Obama Juggernaut: Presidential Fundraising in 2008, Peter Francia, Gregory Fortelny, and Clyde Wilcox

Reading 14: The Magnitude of the 2008 Democratic Victory: By the Numbers, James Ceaser and Daniel DiSalvo

Reading 15: The Myth of Presidential Mandate, Robert A. Dahl

Reading 16: Changing Tides: Public Opinion, Campaigns, and Governance, 2004-2009, Roger H. Davidson



Section 4: The Public Presidency: Press, Media, and Public Approval

Reading 17: The "Permanent Campaign", Hugh Heclo

Reading 18: The Press and the Presidency, Mark J. Rozell

Reading 19: The Presidency and Image Management: Discipline in Pursuit of Illusion, Jeremy D. Mayer

Reading 20: The Presidential Pulpit: Bully or Baloney?, George C. Edwards, III



Section 5: The Institutional Presidency

Reading 21: The White House Staff, The President's Committee on Administrative Management (Brownlow Committee)

Reading 22: Can the President Manage the Government?, James P. Pfiffner

Reading 23: The Changing Presidential Office, Hugh Heclo

Reading 24: Presidential Appointments and the Office of Presidential Personnel, Bradley H. Patterson and James P. Pfiffner

Reading 25: The Administrative Presidency, Unilateral Power, and the Unitary Executive Theory, Richard W. Waterman



Section 6: The Separation of Powers

Reading 26: Presidential Relations with Congress, Roger H. Davidson

Reading 27: The Disappearing Political Center, Sarah A. Binder

Reading 28: Presidents and the Judicial Appointment Process, John Anthony Maltese

Reading 29: Executive Privilege and the U.S. Attorneys Firings, Mark Rozell and Mitchel Sollenberger



Section 7: Policy Leadership

Reading 30: The Presidential "Hundred Days", Richard E. Neustadt

Reading 31: Obama Becomes President: Policy Development and Leadership, John P. Burke

Reading 32: Unilateral Powers: A Brief Overview, William G. Howell

Reading 33: Prerogative Power and the War on Terrorism, Richard Pious

Reading 34: Decision Making in the Bush White House, James P. Pfiffner



Section 8: Commander-in-Chief and National Security

Reading 35: Presidential Power in National Security, Louis Fisher

Reading 36: Deference and Defiance: The Shifting Rhythms of Executive-Legislative Relations in Foreign Policy, James A. Lindsey

Reading 37: Constraining Executive Power: George W. Bush and the Constitution, James P. Pfiffner

Reading 38: The Commander in Chief and the Courts, Jules Lobel



Section 9: Evaluating Presidents: Greatness and Abuse of Power

Reading 39: Three Crises of Character in the Modern Presidency, James P. Pfiffner

Reading 40: "If Men Were Angels . . . .": Presidential Leadership and Accountability, Thomas E. Cronin and Michael A. Genovese

Reading 41: The Worst President in History?, Sean Wilentz

Reading 42: The Long View, Karl Rove

Reading 43: A New Imperial Presidency?, Andrew Rudalevige