THE PRESIDENTIAL DIFFERENCE
Leadership Styles from FDR to Clinton
with a new afterword on George W. Bush
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Drawing
on a quarter-century's work, Fred I. Greenstein, one of our keenest observers of
the modern presidency, provides a fascinating and instructive account of the
qualities that have served well and poorly in the Oval Office from Franklin D.
Roosevelt's first hundred days to the beginning of George W. Bush's presidency. Greenstein offers a series of bottom-line judgments on each of his twelve
subjects and a bold new explanation of why presidents succeed or fail. Previous analysts have placed their bets on the president's political prowess or personal
character. Yet
by the first standard, LBJ should have been our greatest president, and by the
second the nod would go to Jimmy Carter. Greenstein surveys each president's
record in public communication, political skill, vision, cognitive style, and
emotional intelligence -- and argues that the last is the most important in
predicting presidential success. |
Praise for The Presidential Difference
"An excellent book. I support it wholeheartedly."
-- Dick Cheney, May 3, 2000
"A wonderful book. . . . For journalists, it
is a great checklist as to what we ought to be -- but probably are not likely to
be -- looking for in a presidential candidate." -- David Broder
"Illuminating. . . . A perceptive view of
the leadership qualities and the events that shaped the trimphs and tragedies of
the modern presidency. -- Phil Gailey, New York Times
"Among the many excellent books on the
American presidency, Greenstein's The Presidential Difference will occupy
a unique position. Greenstein not only provides succinct descriptions of
the person and presidency of every incumbent in the office from FDR to Clinton,
but he also presents the reader with highly informed, judicious, shrewd, and
entirely nonpartisan judgments about the qualities that have made for success
and failure in that demanding office. His descriptions and evaluations
make it a book that can be read with profit by everyone who cares about American
political life, and, as appears to be the author's intent, particularly by
future incoming presidents." -- Robert A. Dahl, author of On Democracy
Princeton
University Press
2001
300 pages, paper
ISBN: 0-691-09083-1
$16.95
Table of
Contents
Princeton
University Press description