Routledge Handbook of the Sociology of American Presidency on a Global Stage

Adebowale Akande is a distinguished international social theorist and political psychosociologist, recognized for his thoughtful contributions to presidential studies, political sociology, leadership psychology, and global organizational behavior. As a scientist–practitioner, he bridges theory and practice, advancing cross- cultural leadership research while engaging with real- world organizational challenges. His collaborative work with leading scholars in American and global politics and social science reflects a commitment to rigorous scholarship and practical insight, making his voice both credible and influential on the global stage. His research spans presidential behavior, U.S. democracy, international relations, and the sociological psychology of leadership expectations. Dr. Akande has illuminated how CEO political behaviors align with cultural norms and how social dynamics— cooperation, competition, and power— shape stereotypes and biases.A foundational member of the landmark 2004 GLOBE study, he has earned numerous accolades, including the Commonwealth Academic Fellowship, the IUPSYS International Award, and the Gordon W. Allport Prize for his work on ambivalent sexism and global family relations. His fellowships span Taiwan, Japan, Austria, and India, reflecting his global scholarly reach.Currently serving as a senior professor and an international director for IR GLOBE in Vancouver, Canada, and as a guest professor at several British Columbia universities, Dr. Akande continues to mentor future leaders. His research and editorial leadership have profoundly shaped contemporary understandings of political behavior, American democracy, and cultural dynamics.

• List of FiguresList of TablesList of ContributorsIntroduction: The Presidency as Global Performance: Symbolic Power, Media Spectacle, and the Crisis of Democratic RepresentationAdebowale AkandePart I: Presidency in Crisis: Populism, Power, and the Unraveling of Democratic Ideals 1. The Presidential Difference: Persuasion and Power in a Fragmented Global OrderAdebowale Akande, Vito Bobek, Kim A. Haynes, Estee Ti. Akande, David A. Jones, and Filippo Ferrari2. American Presidency: Donald Trump, Populism, and Democracy—Not the Same but InterconnectedBarbara Wejnert3. The Politics of Spectacle: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, and the Collapse of Democratic NormsDouglas Kellner4. A Strategy of Withdrawal: Surges, Power Projection, and the Limits of U.S. StatecraftLuis da Vinha and Anthony Dutton5. From Blockchain-Based Fundraising to Virtual Engagement Tools: How Technology Shaped the 2024 Presidential CampaignsVito Bobek, Andrej Lisec, and Tatjana Horvat 6. The Pinwheel Presidency: Trump’s Foreign Policy and the Unravelling of Global OrderJosé Filipe Pinto7. Spectacle and Empire: Law, Governance, and DemocracyAdebowale Akande8. The Politics of Influence: Presidential Power and the Shaping of Voter BehaviorAdebowale Akande, David Lester, and Bijou Yang9. Mr. Trump and the Law: Power, Legitimacy, and Legal Institutions in American SocietyDavid A. Jones10. The Price of Power: Money, Autocracy, and the Decline of Liberal DemocracyBruce E. JohansenPart II: Structures of Power and Displacement: Theoretical Frames and Innovative Research Methodologies11. Rethinking Research: Paradigms, Methodological Power, and the Politics of InquiryAdebowale Akande with Vito Bobek and Tatjana Horvat12. Migration in Crisis: Qualitative Methods for Understanding and Studying Migrants on the Move in the Trump EraDan Ha Le, Charlotte Jonasson, and Jakob Lauring13. Theoretical Paradigms: Systems Theory, Social Action Theory and Power, and Relations Dependence and AuthorityDavid C. Coker Part III: Disorder and Dominion: Global Power Shifts, Political Mythmaking, and the Erosion of Innocence14. Mass-Scale Protests: Vladimir Putin and Disruptive Politics—Russia’s “Hybrid Aggression” against GeorgiaAndrey Makarychev 15. Propaganda and Power: Shaping Public Perceptions in Modern PoliticsVlad Mǎrginaş and Sergiu Mișcoiu16. Children Fall Apart: The Presidency, Structural Violence, and the War on ChildhoodAdebowale Akande, Funmi Odewale, Vito Bobek, Estee Ti. Akande, Steven G. Koven, Kim A. Haynes, Elizabeth Goryunova, Ester Shapiro, and David C. CokerPart IV: Specters of Power and Ideologies of Collapse—Denial, Supremacy, and the Myth of Progress17. Zombie Causes: Moldy Corpses, Rising AgainBarbara Alice Mann18. A Trumpian Fantasy Hoax as Existential ThreatBruce E. Johansen19. The best of all Possible Worlds: Measuring Progress In Relative vs Absolute TermsLeonardo Díaz Abraham and Rodrigo R. Gómez Garza20. Climate Crimes and the Trump Administration: The Politics of Environmental DestructionRonald C. KramerPart V: Contours of Presidential Power: Law, Foreign Policy, and Global Order21. The Press and Presidential Public Diplomacy: Coverage of the Clinton and Obama Trips to Ghana in the New York Times and Ghanaian TimesTodd Schaefer 22. Breaking Barriers: Kamala Harris and the Struggle for Women’s Political LeadershipTimothy C. Bagwell and Heather C. Roberson23. Netanyahu: A War Horse, Not the Messiah’s DonkeyJosé Filipe Pinto 24. World on the Brink: An Essay on World War IIIZaki Kamal25. America, Nuclear Stability in Asia, and a Rising ChinaStephen J. Cimbala 26. U.S. Foreign Policy Traditions and the Foreign Policy of the First Donald J. Trump Administration (2017–2020)Yannis A. Stivachtis27. Democracy in Retreat: Misrule, Extremism, and the Transatlantic Collapse of the Political Center—From the 1930s to TodayVito Bobek, Julian Seebacher, and Simona Kustec28. The New Cold War with Russia: Trump’s Influence on the Global DivideArmin Krishnan29. Constitutional Meaning in an Age of Contestation: Beyond Judicial Finality and Executive AbsolutismAdebowale Akande and Louis Fisher Epilogue