Michael A. Genovese

So you've gotten yourself elected president--now what? Help is here in the form of an imaginary memo from your former professor, who integrates the works of the great thinkers (Aristotle, Plato, Machiavelli, etc.) with contemporary scholarship to address the strengths, limitations, and possibilities of presidential leadership. Michael A. Genovese, a highly esteemed presidential scholar, culls numerous nuggets of wisdom about presidential leadership, including past presidents, condensing detailed and academically grounded insights into an engaging and entertaining read. All essential topics are covered, including: presidential character and personality; political institutions and opportunities; power versus leadership; and sources of and limits to presidential power. In-depth coverage of crisis management and wartime decision-making are unique strengths of the book. Chapters are brief and concise, making Memo to a New President far more interesting than supplements such as case studies or documents. Genovese's presentation allows readers to identify with the various constraints on America's chief executive and gives them an opportunity to apply their knowledge and preconceptions (often misconceptions) to the political realities that presidents routinely face. Students are left to grapple with a central question of the book: Is an effective presidency possible without undermining the essence of a democratic republic?

This highly readable and compelling book aids students and would-be leaders in a whole variety of fields to understand leadership and become effective leaders. Leadership Intelligence builds on the authors’ national prize-winning Leadership Matters (2012). Political scientists and leadership scholars Tom Cronin and Michael Genovese provide a guide for navigating the contradictions, ambiguities and nuances of leadership. They clarify the realities and competing definitions of leadership. They examine what we learn about leadership intelligence from the classics, war, business, politics and film. They also examine the problems of toxic and dysfunctional power wielding. Finally, they examine how leadership intelligence differs from IQ and Emotional Intelligence yet combines these with creativity and entrepreneurial skills. Leadership Intelligence is essential reading for students of leadership, especially undergraduate students and young people entering business, the military and politics.

This highly readable and compelling book aids students and would-be leaders in a whole variety of fields to understand leadership and become effective leaders. Leadership Intelligence builds on the authors’ national prize-winning Leadership Matters (2012). Political scientists and leadership scholars Tom Cronin and Michael Genovese provide a guide for navigating the contradictions, ambiguities and nuances of leadership. They clarify the realities and competing definitions of leadership. They examine what we learn about leadership intelligence from the classics, war, business, politics and film. They also examine the problems of toxic and dysfunctional power wielding. Finally, they examine how leadership intelligence differs from IQ and Emotional Intelligence yet combines these with creativity and entrepreneurial skills. Leadership Intelligence is essential reading for students of leadership, especially undergraduate students and young people entering business, the military and politics.

This is an innovative and inspirational examination of films and documentaries that helps us explain the evolution of, struggles of, and aspirations of the American experiment. This book sorts politics into categories and then identifies films, TV shows, and documentaries that illuminate various aspects of that category. For each chapter, the authors list and discuss an impressive variety of films, documentaries, and television shows. This accessible book is designed for course use and general readers interested in how American politics and history has been portrayed in media.

This book traces the development of US strategy on nuclear weapons and how presidents from Truman to Biden have wrestled with the question of how best to employ nuclear arms in a dangerous world. Michael Genovese examines how each president tried to solve the problems raised by the possession and spread of nuclear arms. Some presidents were aware of the grave dangers; others imagined that nuclear weapons could be useful battlefield weapons; still others tried to build up the nuclear arsenal while others sought to cut the arsenals. This book also analyzes the role of nuclear weapons and the rise of presidential power. The nuclear age has contributed to the dominance of the American presidency in foreign policy and war. To policy makers and politicians alike, the nuclear threat meant that command and control had to be placed in the hands of a central commander: the President of the United States. It concludes with an examination of the ethical and pragmatic issues regarding nuclear weapons and their use.

This book examines the Nixon presidency, reviews the events surrounding Watergate and the President’ resignation, and unpacks the effects of Watergate on our politics and public attitudes about the political process. Genovese, a prolific scholar of the American presidency who has published three previous books on Nixon and Watergate, argues that the roots of modern political dysfunction and slash-and-burn politics can be traced to the impact of the Vietnam War, the Watergate Crisis, the policies and activities of the Nixon presidency, and the hyper-partisanship they spawned. Now, 50 years on from the scandal, it is time for a reappraisal of Nixon’s impact and a review of the impact he has had on our political system and political culture.

This reference provides background information about the Watergate crisis and discusses its significance to U.S. politics today. Relatively insignificant at first glance, the Watergate crisis led to the downfall of a president and emerged as the most important constitutional crisis since the Civil War. Journalists and the media were instrumental in shedding light on Watergate and exposing political corruption at the highest levels of government. Watergate became part of American popular culture and synonymous with presidential corruption. This book surveys the background of the Watergate crisis and links it to contemporary American politics. The first part of the book provides a narrative overview and examination of the Watergate crisis, with a consideration of what happened and why, and the relevance of Watergate to today's political issues. The book considers such topics as political corruption and impeachment, the role of the media, and the abuse of presidential power. The book also offers biographical sketches of key players in the Watergate crisis, a chronology, glossary, primary source document excerpts, and an annotated bibliography.

This book systematically examines the first terms of every president from FDR to Joe Biden and assesses the leadership style and policy agenda of each. Success in bringing about policy change is shown to hinge on the leadership style and skill in managing a variety of institutional and public relationships. Presidents are evaluated based on the level of opportunity they faced. The third edition of this timely book adds chapters on Donald Trump and Joe Biden and focuses on the significant domestic policy challenges of their respective times. For students of presidential history, leadership, and public policy, The Presidency and Domestic Policy provides unique insights into contemporary presidential leadership in a highly partisan age.New to the Third EditionTwo new chapters focusing on Trump and Biden, showing its policy similarities as well as differences from earlier administrationsA reassessment of the domestic policy legacies of Bill Clinton (especially in regard to crime and the financial services industries)A sharper focus on racial politics resulting from both the Clinton and Obama erasAn exploration of administrative approaches to governing domestically and unilateral decision making—normally reserved for the foreign policy arena but now applied on the domestic side as well (e.g., executive orders)The increasing linkage between domestic and foreign policy issue arenas, particularly in the areas of immigration, trade, and environmental policyAn assessment of judicial politics in the framework of the four leadership dimensions presidents bring to office, and also in terms of the impact on domestic policy outputs

This book systematically examines the first terms of every president from FDR to Joe Biden and assesses the leadership style and policy agenda of each. Success in bringing about policy change is shown to hinge on the leadership style and skill in managing a variety of institutional and public relationships. Presidents are evaluated based on the level of opportunity they faced. The third edition of this timely book adds chapters on Donald Trump and Joe Biden and focuses on the significant domestic policy challenges of their respective times. For students of presidential history, leadership, and public policy, The Presidency and Domestic Policy provides unique insights into contemporary presidential leadership in a highly partisan age.New to the Third EditionTwo new chapters focusing on Trump and Biden, showing its policy similarities as well as differences from earlier administrationsA reassessment of the domestic policy legacies of Bill Clinton (especially in regard to crime and the financial services industries)A sharper focus on racial politics resulting from both the Clinton and Obama erasAn exploration of administrative approaches to governing domestically and unilateral decision making—normally reserved for the foreign policy arena but now applied on the domestic side as well (e.g., executive orders)The increasing linkage between domestic and foreign policy issue arenas, particularly in the areas of immigration, trade, and environmental policyAn assessment of judicial politics in the framework of the four leadership dimensions presidents bring to office, and also in terms of the impact on domestic policy outputs

This book examines the Nixon presidency, reviews the events surrounding Watergate and the President’ resignation, and unpacks the effects of Watergate on our politics and public attitudes about the political process. Genovese, a prolific scholar of the American presidency who has published three previous books on Nixon and Watergate, argues that the roots of modern political dysfunction and slash-and-burn politics can be traced to the impact of the Vietnam War, the Watergate Crisis, the policies and activities of the Nixon presidency, and the hyper-partisanship they spawned. Now, 50 years on from the scandal, it is time for a reappraisal of Nixon’s impact and a review of the impact he has had on our political system and political culture.

Stories matter. They help us digest information, make sense of our world, learn valuable lessons, understand ourselves, store information, find meaning, and remember. Our stories can define us, tell us who we are, and who we might yet become. Researchers tell us that stories are one of the most elemental ways we process information. We understand the world through stories. Stories are accessible to our brains; we can more easily process narratives. They make sense to us. This book takes political storytelling seriously. Research on the brain indicates that humans learn from and profit from narratives. They help us make sense of a complex world, teach us important lessons, socialize us into society, are agents of education, information, and entertainment. How best to receive and process new information? As stories are important to us, so too are political narrative as a key to our identities. So many of our political views and subsequent behavior have roots in the myths and stories of America. This book examines stories of our lives as presented in paintings, music, and films. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

This book examines how the United States government, through the lens of presidential leadership, has tried to come to grips with the many and complex issues pertaining to relations with Indigenous peoples, who occupied the land long before the Europeans arrived. The historical relationship between the US government and Native American communities reflects many of the core contradictions and difficulties the new nation faced as it tried to establish itself as a legitimate government and fend off rival European powers, including separation of powers, the role of Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, and the relationship between diplomacy and war in the making of the United States. The authors’ analysis touches on all US presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump, with sections devoted to each president. Ultimately, they consider what historical and contemporary relations between the government and native peoples reveal about who we are and how we operate as a nation.

The world is walking past Hannah, and she can only watch it from a distance. Her family lives in a small home with the only well along the main roadway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.The road between the bustling city and small village is filled with merchants, foreigners, and families. Tending her family's small flock of sheep in the desert, the young shepherd girl yearns for a closer encounter with the travelers.Most are travelling because of the census. Under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire, Emperor Caesar Augustus wants Israel's entire population counted. According to Hebrew law, every man and his family must go to his place of birth for the census to be done properly.Hannah tends the sheep so her father, Micah, can work near the house. Her mother, Rebecca, is still very sick following the recent birth of Isaac. Micah and Miriam, Hannah's younger sister, stay behind in case Rebecca suffers another collapse. Everyone is very worried about her.A brief but severe desert storm brings unexpected visitors to Hannah and her family. Caught in the harsh storm, a young couple seeks shelter inside their home until it passes. The husband and his pregnant wife have walked from Nazareth because of the census. Bethlehem is their destination. Micah and Rebecca welcome them.Later that evening, two occurrences happen--one happy and the other strange. The second leads Micah and Hannah on their own journey to Bethlehem. Their guide is a bright star in the sky.

This book examines how the United States government, through the lens of presidential leadership, has tried to come to grips with the many and complex issues pertaining to relations with Indigenous peoples, who occupied the land long before the Europeans arrived. The historical relationship between the US government and Native American communities reflects many of the core contradictions and difficulties the new nation faced as it tried to establish itself as a legitimate government and fend off rival European powers, including separation of powers, the role of Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, and the relationship between diplomacy and war in the making of the United States. The authors’ analysis touches on all US presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump, with sections devoted to each president. Ultimately, they consider what historical and contemporary relations between the government and native peoples reveal about who we are and how we operate as a nation.

This reference provides background information about the Watergate crisis and discusses its significance to U.S. politics today.Relatively insignificant at first glance, the Watergate crisis led to the downfall of a president and emerged as the most important constitutional crisis since the Civil War. Journalists and the media were instrumental in shedding light on Watergate and exposing political corruption at the highest levels of government. Watergate became part of American popular culture and synonymous with presidential corruption. This book surveys the background of the Watergate crisis and links it to contemporary American politics.The first part of the book provides a narrative overview and examination of the Watergate crisis, with a consideration of what happened and why, and the relevance of Watergate to today's political issues. The book considers such topics as political corruption and impeachment, the role of the media, and the abuse of presidential power. The book also offers biographical sketches of key players in the Watergate crisis, a chronology, glossary, primary source document excerpts, and an annotated bibliography.

The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial. Why do we devote monuments to the presidents? Why do we honor them, instead of Congress, or the courts? A Presidential Nation examines how the presidency (an office limited by the Constitution and separation of powers) became the centerpiece of American government. Michael A. Genovese argues that in rebelling against the British, the Framers of the Constitution invented a circumscribed presidency to guard against executive tyranny. Yet, over time, presidential power has risen and congressional power declined to a point where the United States has a near imperial presidency. Reexamining the status of presidential power in the post-9/11 world, Dr. Genovese considers the alternatives, if any, to the current model of presidential power. A Presidential Nation is perfect for students of American Presidency and Federal Governance courses and anyone interested in the changing authority of the American political system.

This book features a lively debate between two prominent scholars—Michael A. Genovese and David Gray Adler—on the critical issue of whether the Constitution, written in the 18th Century, remains adequate to the national security challenges of our time. The question of the scope of the president’s constitutional authority—if any—to initiate war on behalf of the American people, long the subject of heated debate in the corridors of power and the groves of academe, has become an issue of surpassing importance for a nation confronted by existential threats in an Age of Terrorism. This question should be thoroughly reviewed and debated by members of Congress, and considered by all Americans before they are asked to go to war. If the constitutional allocation of powers on matters of war and peace is outdated, what changes should be made? Is there a need to increase presidential power? What role should Congress play in the war on terror?

What do the early days of the Trump presidency tell us about the president's style? Foregrounding this study with a background of how the president's unorthodox style led him to win the election, renowned political scientist and presidentials studies scholar Michael A. Genovese looks at the transition period and the usual 100-day standard on which presidents are judged. Genovese presents five tests to see how things have measured up, from Trump's campaign management to putting together Team Trump to the vision presented in his inaugural address and the first hundred days of the Trump presidency. In addition to looking at President Trump's leadership style and comparing it with previous presidents, the book examines the campaign promises made and whether they have been or will be fulfilled and why. Not only encapsulating this critical period, this book also looks down the road to see what potential opportunities and challenges President Trump will face and how he might address these. Written in a highly accessible manner, How Trump Governs will be a valuable read for both scholars and general readers.

This brief, thought-provoking text evaluates the performance of recent presidents from Johnson to Bush, finding that, overall, each has failed to live up to public expectations. Written by one of the top presidency scholars today, The Presidential Dilemma reflects on the idea that as our country's problems grow, our politicians seem to shrink. Arguing that American presidents of the last 40 years have largely failed to meet the needs, expectations, and responsibilities placed upon them, the book discusses how presidents might better maximize their opportunities for leadership and suggests a distinctive theory of presidential politics: presidents, facing a system of multiple veto points, seek to maximize power and influence.The third edition of Genovese's stimulating book is thoroughly updated to reflect presidential development in recent years, and a new introduction brings his arguments current. As he demonstrates, the emergence of democracy as a new social and political paradigm undermined traditional authority and legitimacy. Subjects no longer automatically follow; now citizens must be persuaded. They may give to a leader their authority and power, or not. As Genovese notes, in a world of mass consumerism, those wishing to lead have precious little to offer by way of inducement.Genovese's goal is to examine the reasons why the performance of recent presidents has been underwhelming, discuss how they might maximize their opportunities for leadership, and ask a key question: Can presidents be both powerful and accountable? The book follows a clear format and tries to show why America's officeholders have so rarely been leaders and how presidents can become leaders instead of mere officeholders.