
The President and His Inner Circle
Leadership Style and the Advisory Process in Foreign Policy Making
Thomas Preston(Author)
Columbia University Press
Will be published approx. on 14. February 2001
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-231-11621-3 (ISBN)
Description
Few would argue that presidential policies and performance would have been the same whether John F. Kennedy or Richard Nixon became president in 1960, or if Jimmy Carter instead of Ronald Reagan had won the White House in 1980. Indeed, in recent elections, the character, prior policy experience, or personalities of candidates have played an increasing role in our assessments of their "fit" for the Oval Office. Further, these same characteristics are often used to explain an administration's success or failure in policy making. Obviously, who the president is-and what he is like-matters. This book, a new approach to the study of the personal presidency, links the characteristics of six modern American presidents-their personalities and their prior policy-making experience-to their leadership styles, advisory arrangements, and decision making in the White House. Thomas Preston uses M. G. Hermann's Personality Assessment-at-a-Distance (PAD) profiling technique, as well as exhaustive archival research and interviews with former advisors, to develop a leadership style typology.
He then compares his model's expectations against the actual policy record of six past presidents, using foreign policy episodes: Korea (1950) for Truman, Dien Bien Phu (1954) for Eisenhower, Cuba (1962) for Kennedy, Vietnam (1967-68) for Johnson, the Gulf War (1990-91) for Bush, and North Korea/Haiti/Bosnia (1994-95) for Clinton.
He then compares his model's expectations against the actual policy record of six past presidents, using foreign policy episodes: Korea (1950) for Truman, Dien Bien Phu (1954) for Eisenhower, Cuba (1962) for Kennedy, Vietnam (1967-68) for Johnson, the Gulf War (1990-91) for Bush, and North Korea/Haiti/Bosnia (1994-95) for Clinton.
Reviews / Votes
Preston provides an elaborate typology of presidential leadership styles and choices about the organization of policy advice... His labels are carefully developed and defined, and the classification system as a whole is impressive in its complexity and integrative ambition. -- R. A. Strong Choice A thoughtful and incisive work...a workable model for analyzing presidential decisionmaking in both foreign and domestic affairs. -- Michael E. Long White House StudiesMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Weight
496 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-231-11621-3 (9780231116213)
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Schweitzer Classification
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Thomas Preston
The President and His Inner Circle
Leadership Style and the Advisory Process in Foreign Policy Making
E-Book
10/2015
1st Edition
De Gruyter
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Thomas Preston
The President and His Inner Circle
Leadership Style and the Advisory Process in Foreign Affairs
Book
01/2001
Columbia University Press
€84.81
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Person
Thomas Preston is assistant professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science at Washington State University.
Content
Introduction: Understanding the Mosaic of Presidential Personality and Leadership Style 1. Leadership Style: The "Enabler" of Presidential Power 2. Harry S. Truman and the Korean War 3. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Dien Bien Phu 4. John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis 5. Lyndon B. Johnson and the Partial Bombing Halt in Vietnam 6. George Bush and the Gulf War 7. Bill Clinton: North Korea, Haiti, and Bosnia 8. Presidential Personality and the Grand Mosaic of Leadership Bibliography