The Imperiled Presidency Leadership Challenges in the Twenty-First Century [Paperback]

Cal Mackenzie has written a provocative study of how contemporary political, social, and technological forces have weakened the president's ability to lead successfully and what can be done to facilitate that leadership. This wonderfully written book is a major contribution to our understanding of the 21st century presidency's frustrations and potential.Cal Mackenzie provides a healthy counterbalance to those who argue that recent presidents have amassed too much power. By underscoring how changes in the external environment have affected the power of the presidency, this work re-centers the debate over how much influence the institution of the presidency has today and how much influence it ought to have in the future if we are to achieve a better functioning federal government. Every student of the presidency will expand their understanding by reading this very fine book.The Imperiled Presidency: Presidential Leadership in the 21st Century calls for a dramatic re-evaluation of the American presidents role within the separation of powers system. In contrast with claims by academics, pundits, media, and members of Congress, Cal Mackenzie offers the contrarian argument that the real constitutional crisis in contemporary American politics is not the centralization and accumulation of power in the presidency (the imperial presidency argument), but rather that effective governance is imperiled by the diminished role of the presidency. The product of more than three years of research and writing and nearly four decades of the authors teaching and writing about the American presidency, The Imperiled Presidency is the first book-length treatment of the weaknesses of the modern presidency, written to be accessible to undergraduates and interested citizens alike.The Imperiled Presidency: Presidential Leadership in the 21st Century calls for a dramatic re-evaluation of the American presidents role within the separation of powers system. In contrast with claims by acadlÓ'