Heading Toward the Finish Line: The Obama Presidency and American Politics

Bert A. Rockman

doi:10.5771/1610-7780-2015-2-189

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 177–188 Zur aktuellen Situation / Comment 177–188
  - Wir und die Anderen – Interkultureller Dialog und Verantwortung Klaus-Dieter Lehmann Klaus-Dieter Lehmann
- 189–276 Abhandlungen / Analyses 189–276
  - 189–220 Heading Toward the Finish Line: The Obama Presidency and American Politics Bert A. Rockman Bert A. Rockman 189–220
  - 221–245 Europäische Parlamente in Krisensituationen – ein evolutionsanalytischer Essay aus aktuellem Anlass Werner J. Patzelt Werner J. Patzelt 221–245
  - 246–276 EURO-Parallelwährung: Ansatz zu einer graduellen Währungs(des)integration Dirk Meyer Dirk Meyer 246–276
- 277–330 Berichte / Reports 277–330
  - 277–297 Policy-Transfers und Policy-Diffusion in der Finanzpolitik der Bundesrepublik: zur Rolle einflussreicher „epistemic communities“ Henrik Scheller Henrik Scheller 277–297
  - 298–330 Missgeschick oder Trend? Zur Prognosetauglichkeit von Wahlumfragen Dieter Roth, Andreas M. Wüst Dieter Roth, Andreas M. Wüst 298–330
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ZSE Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften | Journal for Comparative Government and European Policy , page 189 - 220

Heading Toward the Finish Line: The Obama Presidency and American Politics

Autoren

Bert A. Rockman

DOI
- doi.org/10.5771/1610-7780-2015-2-189
- ISSN: 1610-7780
- ISSN online: 1610-7780
Abstract

As the presidency of Barack Obama nears its end and attention has begun shifting to the ambitions of a multitude of aspirants for their party’s nomination, this article explores two main issues: Why are expectations for what presidents can (and say they will) accomplish so far out of balance with what is achievable? And what are the implications of continuing deadlock in the American political system for the de facto balance of power among its political institutions, particularly regarding presidential unilateralism and the importance of the courts in deciding controversial political issues? The article examines President Obama’s evolution over various points in his presidency from making some efforts to reduce the partisan discord in Congress and the country to concluding there was virtually no possibility for that ambition to succeed. Consequently, over time Obama became less willing to bargain with the opposition Republicans, especially as their status turned out to be more powerful over the course of his presidency. Instead, he became more reliant for the most part on his party’s base and on exercising the controversial discretionary powers of the presidency.
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