Government by Committee: Exponential Growth of the Presidency
Over the course of history, each of the president's constitutional powers has expanded beyond that which was originally envisioned. Foreign policy is a case in point. During most of the 19th century the federal government's policymaking role was sma...
Presidency, The: Challenges of Governing
Presidential advisor, political analyst and university professor David Gergen talks about some of the factors that have changed the fabric of political institutions in America and made governing more difficult than ever before. These factors include...
Presidency, The: A Delicate Balancing Act
Presidential advisor, political analyst and university professor David Gergen explains that the presidency is more than simply a relationship between the President and the people. If goals and objectives are to be reached, Mr. Gergen says, the Presi...
Leader for a Nation: Art of the Possible: Negotiating for Success, The
The design of the U. S. government makes it almost inevitable that there will be tensions between the legislative and executive branch. Different presidents have dealt with this problem in different ways, depending on their margin of victory and how...
Leader for a Nation: Factors Beyond a President's Control
When the American public assesses the president's job performance, cautions presidential scholar Sam Kernell, "we need to keep in mind that presidents don't really call the shots." Pressure groups, ideological differences within their own party, una...
Leader for a Nation: Essence of Leadership, The
David Gergen, Harvard professor and CNN political analyst, talks about presidential leadership. Although it is likely that Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton had higher IQs, Ronald Reagan, he says, was a more effective leader because he was better cente...
Leader for a Nation: Challenging Office, A
As the president becomes less of an administrative leader and more of a policy advocate and agenda setter, public support becomes necessary to success. The person who occupies the Oval Office tends to get too much credit when things go well and too ...
Leader for a Nation: Legislative Responses to Executive Abuses
Congress rarely uses its power to impeach. More often, it elects to respond legislatively to executive abuses. The War Power Act, for example, came into play when Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait in the early 1990s and President Bush moved to interve...
Leader for a Nation: High Crimes and Misdemeanors
At times Congress has taken steps to curb misuse of power through its Constitutional power to impeach and remove a president from office. President Nixon may have been guilty of major offenses in relation to the Watergate break in and cover-up but h...
Leader for a Nation: President's Relationship with Congress
As the only nationally-elected official, the president can direct public attention to a particular issue or program. But will Congress follow the president's lead? Mickey Edwards and Gary Jacobson compare the relationship between the president and C...