Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents: The Politics of Leadership from Roosevelt to Reagan

In 1960 Richard Neustadt’s Presidential Power, which constitutes the first eight chapters of the work discussed here, set forth an analysis of the US presidency that argued for presidents to focus on the prospective enhancement and conservation of their own power in terms of politics as they actually occur. The book became a classic, representing the entry of presidential studies into modern political science. It was soon read by individuals holding the office and their advisors.

Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents: The Politics of Leadership from Roosevelt to Reagan, released in 1990, includes the 1960 book as its first part and a second part written by Neustadt as he wrestled with developments like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the spectacular failures of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, and the popular success of television-savvy President Ronald Reagan. Thus, Part 2 includes the additional development and defense of Neustadt’s original theory written in 1968 (Chapter 9), 1976 (Chapter 10), 1980 (Chapter 11), and 1990 (Chapters 12 and 13).

While 1960’s Presidential Power considered the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 1990 edition offers additional assessments of John F.