Contending Approaches to the American Presidency

In a fresh look at the presidency, Michael Genovese brings together leading scholars to shed light on ideological and constitutional assumptions about the presidency. While most scholarly writing is supposed to be "neutral," students frequently find themselves awash in conflicting viewpoints, making it difficult to assess hidden assumptions. In this contributed volume, authors examine the different approaches that drive the current debate concerning the presidency: liberal, conservative, moderate, constitutionalist, libertarian, and presidentialist (unitary executive). All chapters follow a consistent structure, encouraging students to compare ideas across chapters. Contributors also examine their approach in light of presidential-congressional relations, presidential power and accountability, the rule of law, as well as domestic and foreign policy. Making explicit what is often implicit, this engaging and unique examination of the presidency helps readers better understand presidential power and leadership.