The Obama Presidency

Bert A. Rockman is currently professor of political science and department head at Purdue University. His books include The Leadership Question, which was awarded the Richard E. Neustadt Prize. He also has been a recipient Herbert A. Simon Award.Andrew Rudalevige is the Thomas Brackett Reed professor of government at Bowdoin College and former chair of the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section; in 2023-2024 he is a visiting professor at the London School of Economics. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and won the Richard E. Neustadt Prize from the American Political Science Association for best book on the U.S. presidency in 2003 and 2022, as well as the 2022 Louis Brownlow Prize from the National Academy of Public Administration. His books include By Executive Order, Managing the President’s Program, The New Imperial Presidency: Renewing Presidential Power after Watergate, and, as coeditor, a volume on the Office of Management and Budget and a series assessing recent presidencies. Prior to his academic career, he worked in state and local politics in Massachusetts.Colin Campbell is Canada Research Chair in U.S. Government and Politics at the University of British Columbia. Previously, he was university professor of public policy at Georgetown University. He has published nine books, three of which have won awards.

• Preface and Overview - Bert A. Rockman and Andrew Rudalevige"Change We Can Believe In" Meets Reality - Joel D. AberbachStrategic Assessments: Evaluating Opportunities and Strategies in the Obama Presidency - George C. Edwards IIIPolitical Forces on the Obama Presidency: From Election ′08 to Governing - James E. CampbellPublic Opinion and the Presidency: The Obama and Anti-Obama Coalitions - Gary C. JacobsonObama and the Public Presidency: What Got You Here Won′t Get You There - Diane J. HeithThe Privileges of Access: Interest Groups and the White House - Lawrence R. JacobsRivals, or a Team? Staff and IIssue Management in the Obama Administration - Andrew RudalevigeObama and the 111th Congress: Doing Big Things - Barbara SinclairObama and the Law: Judicial Restraint at the Crossroads - David A. YalofAmbition, Necessity, and Polarization in the Obama Domestic Agenda - Christopher H. Foreman, Jr.Continuity and Change in Obama′s Foreign Policy - Robert SinghEconomic Crisis and Political Change: A New New Deal? - M. Stephen WeatherfordConcluding Thoughts: President, Person, and System - Bert A. Rockman, Colin Campbell and Eric N. Waltenburg

I consider this an indispensable text for my course on the American Presidency. The contributing scholars are experts in their field and their contributions are accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students. Best of all, the text provides a timely scholarly analysis of the current President and places his performance in a context that allows for analysis and comparison with previous Presidents.