Why Presidents Fail

Richard M. Pious

doi:10.5771/9780742563391

Why Presidents Fail

White House Decision Making from Eisenhower to Bush II

Published 2008

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doi.org/10.5771/9780742563391
ISBN print: 978-0-7425-6285-1
ISBN online: 978-0-7425-6339-1
Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham

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Zusammenfassung

Presidents are surrounded by political strategists and White House counsel who presumably know enough to avoid making the same mistakes as their predecessors. Why, then, do the same kinds of presidential failures occur over and over again? Why Presidents Fail answers this question by examining presidential fiascos, quagmires, and risky business-the kind of failure that led President Kennedy to groan after the Bay of Pigs invasion, 'How could I have been so stupid?' In this book, Richard M. Pious looks at nine cases that have become defining events in presidencies from Dwight D. Eisenhower and the U-2 Flights to George W. Bush and Iraqi WMDs. He uses these cases to draw generalizations about presidential power, authority, rationality, and legitimacy. And he raises questions about the limits of presidential decision-making, many of which fly in the face of the conventional wisdom about the modern presidency.

Schlagworte

Chapter Expand | CollapsePage
i–xii Preface i–xii
1–10 Introduction: Presidential Fiascoes 1–10
11–28 1: Reputation: Eisenhower and the U-2 Flights 11–28
29–46 2: Power Stakes: Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs 29–46
47–76 3: Compellence: Johnson and the Vietnam Escalation 47–76
77–90 4: Command and Control: Ford and the Mayaguez 77–90
91–114 5: Rhetoric: Carter and the Malaise Speech 91–114
115–148 6: Prerogative Power: Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair 115–148
149–182 7: Gamesmanship: Bush 41 and the Budget Summit 149–182
183–216 8: Program Innovation: Clinton and Health Care 183–216
217–244 9: Parallel Governance: Bush and Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction 217–244
245–278 10: Presidents Unbound: Crises of Authority and Legitimacy 245–278
279–298 11: Risk and Resilience: Toward a White House Learning Curve 279–298
299–302 For Further Reading 299–302
303–316 Index 303–316
317–317 About the Author 317–317

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