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. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and taught previously at Dickinson College. His books include Managing the President's Program, The New Imperial Presidency: Renewing Presidential Power after Watergate and, as co-editor, The Obama Presidency: Appraisals and Prospects. 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. Aberbach Strategic Assessments: Evaluating Opportunities and Strategies in the Obama Presidency - George C. Edwards III Political Forces on the Obama Presidency: From Election '08 to Governing - James E. Campbell Public Opinion and the Presidency: The Obama and Anti-Obama Coalitions - Gary C. Jacobson Obama and the Public Presidency: What Got You Here Won't Get You There - Diane J. Heith The Privileges of Access: Interest Groups and the White House - Lawrence R. Jacobs Rivals, or a Team? Staff and IIssue Management in the Obama Administration - Andrew Rudalevige Obama and the 111th Congress: Doing Big Things - Barbara Sinclair Obama and the Law: Judicial Restraint at the Crossroads - David A. Yalof Ambition, Necessity, and Polarization in the Obama Domestic Agenda - Christopher H. Foreman, Jr. Continuity and Change in Obama's Foreign Policy - Robert Singh Economic Crisis and Political Change: A New New Deal? - M. Stephen Weatherford Concluding 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. -- Carole Kennedy