Presidential Expectations Gap

Richard Waterman is Professor of Political Science at the University of Kentucky. Carol L. Silva is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Risk and Crisis Management at the University of Oklahoma. Hank Jenkins-Smith is Professor of Political Science and Associate Director of the Center for Risk and Crisis Management at the University of Oklahoma.

By bringing together a unique collection of survey data and qualitative case studies, the authors provide the most comprehensive analysis of the expectations gap to date, demonstrating that the expectations gap is politically consequential and carries meaningful implications for presidential approval and election results in both presidential and midterm contests.” —Thomas Rudolph, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign""The public has high expectations of the president, and it is often disappointed. The authors do us a great service in providing the first systematic study of the expectations gap, explaining its causes and analyzing its consequences.” —George C. Edwards III, Texas A&M University