The Paradoxes of the American Presidency - Softcover

9780195116939: The Paradoxes of the American Presidency
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
What exactly do Americans want from their president? A strong and innovative leader or someone who primarily listens to the will of the people? A programmatic party leader or a pragmatic bipartisan coalition-builder? A president who exercises power forcefully or someone who establishes consensus before doing anything? In their provocative new book, The Paradoxes of the American Presidency, Cronin and Genovese suggest Americans want the president to be both a leader and a follower, partisan and bipartisan, innovative and conservative.
Cronin and Genovese explore the complex institution of the American Presidency by viewing it as a series of paradoxes which shape and define the office. The authors look at the clashing expectations and contrarian demands placed upon the president, offering students the opportunity to begin to understand the dilemma faced by all incumbents -- how to bring leadership into a separated system where expectations far exceed the resources and power available to the incumbent. The authors focus on the various relationships all presidents must develop if they are to lead successfully -- relations between the president and Congress, the public, and the courts; the managerial side of the executive branch; the new roles of the cabinet, Vice President, and president's spouse; the vagaries of the selection process; and the inherent contradictions of leadership in a democratic system. Written in a lively, engaging style, this comprehensive, interpretive work represents the collaboration of two highly respected presidential scholars. This is a major end-of-the-century treatment of one of Americas most important political institutions.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:
Thomas E. Cronin, President, Whitman College. Michael A. Genovese, Professor of Political Science and Director, Institute for Leadership Studies, Loyola Marymount University.
From Kirkus Reviews:
Americans' paradoxical views of the presidency are explored by two political scientists. Cronin (The State of the Presidency, not reviewed, etc.) and Genovese (The Presidential Dilemma, not reviewed, etc.) focus on the contradictory yearning of Americans to have a leader who is both ``one of the people'' and someone far removed from identification with the masses. This paradox is less daunting when the president possesses the political genius and natural affability of a Lincoln or an FDR, but it does pose a problem when, say, someone lacking the common touch, like Richard Nixon, is in office. Less paradoxical perhaps is the issue of the Electoral College, which the authors address and for which they offer a solution: the National Bonus Plan, in which the ``winner takes all'' system would be supplanted by a bonus for the popular vote-winner to ensure that the electoral and popular majorities are never different, as has been the case four times in the nation's history. But while the National Bonus Plan is presented at some length, other approaches to streamlining the presidency are given little consideration, e.g., the six-year, nonrenewable term (labeled ``nonsense'' by the authors) and a move to a more parliamentary style of government in which the president would be subject to no-confidence votes and would therefore be more easily removed in the case of a scandal. Cronin and Genovese, while they present a mass of detail about the presidency and our ideas and expectations concerning it, occasionally weaken their arguments by dismissing too many alternatives without making a solid case against them. Still, their scholarship is thorough, and their book makes good introductory reading on our conflicted feelings about the nation's highest office. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherOxford University Press
  • Publication date1998
  • ISBN 10 0195116933
  • ISBN 13 9780195116939
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages448
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780195385281: The Paradoxes of the American Presidency

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  0195385284 ISBN 13:  9780195385281
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, 2009
Softcover

  • 9780195116922: The Paradoxes of the American Presidency

    Oxford..., 1998
    Hardcover

  • 9780195167092: The Paradoxes of the American Presidency

    Oxford..., 2003
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Thomas E. Cronin; Michael A. Genovese
Published by Oxford University Press (1998)
ISBN 10: 0195116933 ISBN 13: 9780195116939
New Soft cover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Prometei Books
(New Rochelle, NY, U.S.A.)

Book Description Soft cover. Condition: New. New book, never read. Pages clean and crisp, spine unbroken. 0619E. Seller Inventory # A0719-022

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 13.39
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 5.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Thomas E. Cronin; Michael A. Genovese
Published by Oxford University Press, USA (1998)
ISBN 10: 0195116933 ISBN 13: 9780195116939
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Poverty Hill Books
(Mt. Prospect, IL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW COPY, Perfect Shape, may have small publishers remainder mark on edge, d07Fast Shipping With Online Tracking, International Orders shipped Global Priority Air Mail, All orders handled with care and shipped promptly in secure packaging, we ship Mon-Sat and send shipment confirmation emails. Our customer service is friendly, we answer emails fast, accept returns and work hard to deliver 100% Customer Satisfaction!. Seller Inventory # 0706240338

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 14.95
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Thomas E. Cronin; Michael A. Genovese
Published by Oxford University Press, USA (1998)
ISBN 10: 0195116933 ISBN 13: 9780195116939
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Poverty Hill Books
(Mt. Prospect, IL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW COPY, Perfect Shape, No Black Remainder Mark,Fast Shipping With Online Tracking, International Orders shipped Global Priority Air Mail, All orders handled with care and shipped promptly in secure packaging, we ship Mon-Sat and send shipment confirmation emails. Our customer service is friendly, we answer emails fast, accept returns and work hard to deliver 100% Customer Satisfaction!. Seller Inventory # 9015048

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 14.95
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Thomas E. Cronin, Michael A. Genovese
Published by Oxford University Press, USA (1998)
ISBN 10: 0195116933 ISBN 13: 9780195116939
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Ergodebooks
(Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # DADAX0195116933

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 22.02
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Cronin, Thomas E.; Genovese, Michael A.
Published by Oxford University Press (1998)
ISBN 10: 0195116933 ISBN 13: 9780195116939
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(North Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 1.29. Seller Inventory # Q-0195116933

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 73.54
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 5.08
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds