The U.S. Presidency in Crisis: A Comparative Perspective

The founding fathers intended the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches to protect citizens from the capricious actions of both the president and Congress. In the latter third of this century, the dynamics between the president and Congress have become increasingly gridlocked, leading to a distemper in public discourse. Americas leaders find it virtually impossible to discuss, much less tackle, burning issues, a situation which poses a very clear threat to the legitimacy and viability of our system of government. The U.S. Presidency in Crisis sheds light on the U.S. presidency through a comparative study of executive leadership in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. It focuses on the common challenges faced by chief executives of other Anglo-American democracies, offering a unique and rich context for examining the U.S. presidency. Campbell stresses that while individual chief executives function in different ways, it is important for all leaders to invest more time and care in discerning the strengths and weaknesses of each management style. The author believes that it is only when these different management styles are thoroughly dissected and reformed that executive problems can be effectively addressed. The U.S. Presidency in Crisis covers the Clinton administration in detail, placing the administration in a context which has seen a gradual erosion of presidential power over the past 30 years. It pinpoints what went wrong with Clintons first term and interprets the consequences of the 1994 and 1996 elections. The text also deals extensively with "the governability gap, the seeming incapacity of presidents and Congress to cope constructively with the core issues faced by the country. Essential for advanced undergraduate courses which compare executive leaderships and bureaucracy, The U.S. Presidency in Crisis derives and amplifies lessons that, if applied, can improve presidential performance.