I’m trying to study for my Political Science course and I need some help to understand this question.

The framers of the Constitution designed the presidency to be a weak office. Two hundred years later the presidency is still limited in important ways, but changes over the years have made the president the single most powerful person in American politics. The textbook chapter gives a broad overview of the president’s powers and the roles the president plays in American politics. Neustadt presents the ways the office of the president is still limited, and discusses what qualities and actions can make a president effective even when working within those limits. Kernell and Howell each provide a counter-argument to Neustadt: they argue that the president can use the media (Kernell), and the formal powers of office (Howell) to wield a large amount of influence within government. The optional textbook chapter covers the bureaucracy, which we don’t have a week on this summer but operates under the direction of the President.

Questions to consider:

• What are “hard” power and “soft” power? How does the president rely on each?
• What role does public opinion play in the president’s ability to do his job?
• To what extent can the President act unilaterally, without Congress’ input?

Readings

Logic of American Politics, Chapter 7 (Chapter 8 optional)

Richard Neudstadt. 1960. Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents. Chapters 2-3

Samuel Kernell. 2007. Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership. 2nd Ed Chapters 1, 5

William G. Howell. Power Without Persuasion: The Politics of Direct Presidential Action. Chapters 1, 5