This document outlines a university lecture on the American presidency. It discusses how presidents build coalitions to win elections and govern, dealing with Congress and divided government. It also examines presidential communication styles and limitations, as well as managing the executive branch through the Executive Office, Cabinet, and White House staff including the Vice President and First Spouse.

1. WEEK #13 LECTURE #22
THE PRESIDENCY PART 2
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
PROFESSOR SHASTRI
FALL 2015

2. OUTLINE OF THE PRESIDENCY PART 2
• PART 2A) BECOMING PRESIDENT: ASSEMBLING COALITIONS
• PART 2B) THE PRESIDENT DEALS W/ CONGRESS & CONTEXT
• PART 2C) PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION & ITS LIMITATIONS
• PART 2D) MANAGING THE PRESIDENTIAL ESTABLISHMENT

3. PART 2A) BECOMING
PRESIDENT: ASSEMBLING
COALITIONS

4. PRESIDENTIAL COALITIONS
CONT’D: PARADOX #4: SIMILARLY, WE WANT PRESIDENTS WHO
CAN BOTH UNIFY US AND TAKE THE NECESSARY BOLD AND
UNPOPULAR DECISIONS THAT ARE LIKELY TO UPSET US.
• PUTTING TOGETHER A WINNING COALITION IS DIFFICULT;
MAINTAINING IT IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.
• GENERALLY: THE BROADER A COALITION, THE LESS DEEP IT
IS; BUT THE DEEPER IT IS, THE NARROWER IT IS

5. THE NEW DEAL DEMOCRATIC COALITION
• FISCAL LIBERALISM: NORTHERN BLACKS, CATHOLICS, JEWS,
WHITE WORKING CLASS, BUT STILL INSUFFICIENT
• ALLOWED SOUTHERN RACIAL CONSERVATISM TO CREATE A
GIGANTIC & DURABLE COALITION W/ SOUTHERN WHITES
• RACE DESTROYED THE COALITION
• WALLACE, NIXON, REAGAN: RACE, GOP, “SOUTHERN
STRATEGY”, WEDGE ISSUES

6. REAGAN NEW FRONTIER COALITON
• THE BRANDS OF CONSERVATISM, + MODERATES, GWB LOST
CENTRISTS & LIBERTARIANS, BUT RELIGIOUS RIGHT STRONG GWB
• WHITE SOUTH (TRUE CONSERVATIVES); COASTAL LIBERTARIANS;
MIDWESTERN SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES, WHITE WORKING CLASS
“REAGAN DEMOCRATS”, WHITE ETHNICS; SUBURBAN/COASTAL
MODERATES; CORPORATE WORLD. 4 SETS OF ISSUES
COALITION WAS DESTROYED BY 1) FALTERING & UNEVEN
ECONOMY, 2) CLINTON’S CENTRISM, 3) RELIGIOUS RIGHT
ALIENATING OF MODERATES & LIBERTARIANS , 4) END OF COLD
WAR; 5) CHANGES IN ECONOMY & DEMOGRAPHY

7. CLINTON & OBAMA’S “NEW LEFT COSMOPOLITAN
COALITION”
• CLINTON’S (THREE FACES) COALITION: (MINORITIES, THE
YOUNG, THE OLD, PROFESSIONALS “CLINTON REPUBLICANS”,
SUBURBAN WOMEN, LIBERAL WHITE MEN, URBANITES, & LARGE
SHARE OF WHITE WORKING CLASS
• OBAMA COALITION (HEAVY SUPPORT AMONGST MINORITIES,
THE YOUNG, LIBERAL WHITES)
PARADOX #8: WHAT & WHO IT TAKES TO BECOME PRESIDENT
MAY NOT BE WHAT & WHO ARE NEEDED TO GOVERN THE NATION

8. PART 2B) THE PRESIDENT
DEALS W/ CONGRESS &
CONTEXT

9. DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES TO PLEASE
• REPRESENTATION: PRESIDENT IS ELECTED BY THE NATION,
YET CONGRESS BY STATE/DISTRICT
• PRESIDENT CAMPAIGNS NATIONALLY & 4 YEARS, CONGRESS
LOCALLY & 2 YEARS OR 6 YEARS
• PRESIDENT’S VIEWS ARE USUALLY CLOSER TO MEDIAN VOTER
• LEGISLATIVE LIASON (PG. 304)

10. DIVIDED GOVERNMENT & CONTEXT
• DIVIDED GOVERNMENT (PG. 305)
• WHEN THE PRESIDENT & CONGRESS HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS
ON POLICY, PRESIDENT HAS LESS POWER
• A FUNCTION OF CONTEXT VS. PRESIDENTIAL BEHAVIOR?
• POLARIZATION: CREDIT CLAIMING FIGHTS & RELATIONSHIPS

11. CAUSES OF DIVIDED GOVERNMENT
• NIXON-FORD-REAGAN-”BUSH 41”: SPLIT-TICKET VOTING
• CLINTON-GWB: GEOGRAPHIC CONCENTRATION
• OBAMA: DIFFERENT ELECTORATES
• VARIOUS PRESIDENTS: BACKLASH TO GOVERNING

12. PART 2C) PRESIDENTIAL
COMMUNICATION & ITS
LIMITATIONS

13. PRESIDENTIAL STYLE
• PARADOX #2: WE YEARN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC “COMMON
PERSON” WHO ALSO HAS AN UNCOMMON GENIUS, CHARISMA,
AND STAR QUALITY.
• REAGAN: WORDLY OPTIMISM & STRENGTH, BUT CALMING
PRESENCE WHO IDENTIFIED W/ THE “SILENT MAJORITY”
• BILL CLINTON: HIGLHY INTELLECTUAL RHODES SCHOLAR W/
THE COMPASSION TO “FEEL YOUR PAIN”.
• GEORGE W.: RELIGIOUS W/ VALUES, LACK OF INTELLECT HELPED
TO CONNECT, & THEN 9/11 GAVE HIM THE LARGER THAN LIFE
• OBAMA: AMAZING ORATOR, BUT COULD APPEAL TO BOTH THE
DISENFRANCHISED & PROFESSIONALS

14. PRESIDENTIAL CHARACTER
• PARADOX #3: WE WANT A DECENT, CARING, AND
COMPASSIONATE PRESIDENT, YET WE ALSO ADMIRE, A
CUNNING, GUILEFUL, & ON OCCASIONS THAT WARRANT IT,
EVEN A RUTHLESS MANIPULATIVE PRESIDENT.
• BARBER’S TYPOLOGY (ACTIVE OR PASSIVE) (POSITIVE OR
NEGATIVE): THE LIBERAL BIAS HERE IS OBVIOUS

15. PRESIDENT AND THE PUBLIC
PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION
• POWER TO PERSUADE (NEUSTADT) (PG. 301)
• GOING PUBLIC (KERNELL) (PG. 301)
LIMITATIONS OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• PRESIDENTIAL CONTEXT (SKOWRENEK)
• CASE-STUDIES OF RECENT PRESIDENTS

16. PRESIDENT AND THE MEDIA
• THE MEDIA AND ISSUE OWNERSHIP
• THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL
COMMUNICATION (GRABER)
• PRESIDENCY AND SOCIAL MEDIA: THE GOOD, THE
BAD, AND THE UGLY

17. PART 2D) MANAGING THE
PRESIDENTIAL
ESTABLISHMENT

18. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
EOP (PG. 308)
• INSTITUTED BY FDR
• OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET (OMB) (PG. 309)
• COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISORS (PG. 309)
• NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL (NSC) (PG. 309)

19. CABINET AND WHITE HOUSE STAFF
CABINET: HEAD OF EACH DEPT. IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
• ORIGINAL IDEA TO OVERSEE PRESIDENT’S POLICIES
• NOW CABINETS ARE POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS W/ POWER
• DO THE BEST HEADS OF DEPT’S MAKE THE BEST TEAM?
WHITE HOUSE TOP STAFFERS: EYES-&-EARS OF PRESIDENT
• REQUIRE NO SENATE CONFIRMATION, JOBS: 1) POLICYMAKING
& COORDINATION; 2) OUTREACH & COMMUNICATION; 3)
INTERNAL COORDINATION; CHIEF OF STAFF (PG. 310)

20. CLOSEST MEMBERS
VICE PRESIDENT 1) USED TO HAVE LOW IMPACT; 2) RARELY
BECAME PRESIDENT; 3) MODERN VP’S DO MORE: 3A) GORE
NAT’L PERFORMANCE REVIEW (MAKE GOV’T EFFICIENT), 3B)
CHENEY: IRAQ WAR, 3C) BIDEN: LOBBY SENATE/”SS MARRIAGE”
FIRST SPOUSE 1) USED TO BE MAINLY SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS;
2) ELEANOR ROOSEVELT; 2A) CIVIL RIGHTS, 2B) HELP ESCAPE
NAZIS; 3) HILLARY CLINTON & CO-PRESIDENCY, 3A) HEALTH-
CARE REFORM, 3B) LATER OFFICE-HOLDER; 4) FIRST SPOUSE