The Presidency: An Impossible Job?

Dr C Harlen, University of LeedsWhite House photo in public domain

Recent Presidents Have All Failed in Some Way

• Military problems: Johnson, Nixon, G.W.Bush

• Economic problems: Nixon, Ford, Carter, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush

• Misconduct in office: Nixon, Clinton

• Lack of policy knowledge: Reagan

Potential Explanations for Failure

• Faulty selection process

• Poor judgment of electorate

• Overly difficult job

Selection Process: Lengthy and Expensive

• Candidates announce 1 year before primaries

• Increased use of primaries instead of caucuses.

• Frontloading of primaries

• End of reliance on public funding

• These factors restrict who runs

Does the Public Make Inappropriate Choices?

President’s current roles: foreign policy, work with Congress to pass legislation.

Overall: 25 of 44 presidents had Congress

experience (57%) versus 2 out of last six (33%)

Governors mainly. Qualified to be president?

Powers of the President Alone as Head of State

• Slight similarities with governor’s role

• Commander in chief vs. control of state national guard.

• Represents government.

Government of California photo in public domain

Powers Involving Work with Legislature

Common

• Powers of appointment.

• Passing legislation with approval of legislature.

Different

• Making treaties as head of state (+ 2/3 Senate approval)

• Governors often control issues public care about most

Powers of President Alone as Head of Government Not Involving Foreign

Policy• Granting reprieves and pardons

• Convening State of the Union Address

• Ensuring laws are faithfully executed

• Wielding ‘executive power’

• Appointing officials

Is the Job Too Demanding?

Jimmy Carter: Beginning and soon after presidency

The Secret to Looking Younger: Leaving the Presidency!

President as Head of State and Government Creates High Expectations!

Source: U.S. National Portrait Gallery education use allowed

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain

Head of State Role Creates Great Expectations

‘The president we get is the country we get...’

Novelist E.L. Doctorow, 2004

Presidents Can Also Use the Historic Presidency

As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain

Compared with Prime Ministers

• Less assured support in legislature usually.

• Less unified cabinet.

Presidents’ Party Often Doesn’t Control Both Branches of Congress

1951 Truman D D D53, 55 EisenhowerR D R

1961 Kennedy D D D1965 Johnson D D D1969 Nixon R D D1974 Ford R D D1977 Carter D D D1981 Reagan R D R1989 G.H.W.BushR D D1993 Clinton D D D1995 Clinton D R R2001 G.W.Bush R R Varied2003 G.W.Bush R R R2007 G.W.Bush R D D2009 Obama D D D

11, 13 Obama D R D

Challenges of the Presidency: Managing the Government

• Over 3 million civilian employees, 1.4 million active military.

• 7,000 political appointments alone (a government of strangers).

• No collective responsibility of cabinet.

Conclusion

• Presidents do not necessarily have or need congressional experience

• Inflated expectations of the president problematic.

• President heads large organisation with no guarantees of loyalty.

• Lack of success not surprising.