Why presidents fail

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pious Richard M., 1944-
Published: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers,
Publisher Address: Lanham, Md.
Publication Dates: c2008.
Literature type: Book
Language: English
Subjects:
USA
Carrier Form: xi, 317 p.: ; 23 cm.
ISBN: 9780742562844 (cloth : alk. paper)
9780742562851 (pbk. : alk. paper)
0742562840 (cloth : alk. paper)
0742562859 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Index Number: K837
CLC: K837.127
D771.29
Call Number: K837.127/P662
Contents: Includes bibliographical references (p. 299-302) and index.
Introduction : presidential fiascoes -- Reputation : Eisenhower and the U-2 flights -- Power stakes : Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs -- Compellence : Johnson and the Vietnam escalation -- Command and control : Ford and the Mayaguez -- Rhetoric : Carter and the malaise speech -- Prerogative power : Reagan and the Iran-Contra affair -- Gamesmanship : Bush 41 and the budget summit -- Program innovation : Clinton and health care -- Parallel governance : Bush and Iraqi weapons of mass destruction -- Presidents unbound : crises of authority and legitimacy -- Risk and resilience : toward a White House learning curve.
Why Presidents Fail takes a fresh look at cases that became defining events in presidencies from Dwight D. Eisenhower through George W. Bush and uses these cases to draw generalizations about presidential power, authority, rationality, and legitimacy. Rather than assigning blame for past failures, this book focuses on why presidents fail and how future presidents might avoid making these same disastrous mistakes.