Running Alone: Presidential Leadership from JFK to Bush II - Softcover

Burns, James MacGregor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 046500833X ISBN 13: 9780465008339

Publisher: Basic Books, 2007

Synopsis

Since mid-century, America has witnessed an ominous decline in presidential leadership, culminating in the failing presidency of George W. Bush today. How did this happen? In Running Alone, the distinguished political scientist and leadership expert James MacGregor Burns finds the origin of the problem in John F. Kennedy's presidential style-and its influence on his successors in the Oval Office. Kennedy rejected collective leadership in favor of a highly personalized executive branch, run by a small group of hand-picked advisors. His successors followed his lead; each in his own way ran and governed alone, exploiting the party base while often ignoring party platforms and party needs. Burns charts the decline of genuine leadership in the Oval Office and offers practical proposals for restoring the kind of transforming leadership that this country so desperately needs. With unsurpassed knowledge of American history and politics, Burns shows us the way forward.

About this title

About the Author:

One of America's most astute political thinkers, James MacGregor Burns is Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government Emeritus at Williams College. He is the author of many books on American history and politics, including Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox and Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award), and Leadership, still considered the seminal work in the field of leadership studies. He lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Review:

"For decades, James MacGregor Burns has served as the gold standard among scholars writing about leadership in the American presidency. One may not always agree with his conclusions, but one always reads with keen appreciation his insights into the most powerful position on earth." -- David Gergen

"James MacGregor Burns is America's leading expert on the presidency. His books and essays are essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the transformation of presidential power during the last hundred years. Any new book by Burns is a welcome addition to the national discussion about America's current political dilemmas." -- Robert Dallek

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 046500833X
• ISBN 13: 9780465008339
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288