Why Presidents Fail: White House Decision Making from Eisenhower to Bush II
As Richard Pious traces the anatomy of presidential failures, he argues that, under conditions of high pressure and great uncertainty, presidents too often engage in “situational constitutionalism” and fail to distinguish between their personal stakes and the nation’s best interests. His carefully reconstructed and detailed case studies do not present merely the conventional wisdom about some obvious presidential blunders, but include incisive analyses of the underlying dynamics of presidential failures that contain important lessons for future presidents and citizens alike. (Pfiffner, James)Pious has researched each case in great detail, yielding much information that may be new to readers, and provides a thorough bibliography. Appropriate for high school and college study, this will also have great appeal for devotees of poli-sci and presidential history. (August 2009Publishers Weekly)This well-written work, which includes extensive footnotes and resources for further study, is recommended for academic libraries. (Library Journal)Government executives, for their part, should berequiredto study this book closely and incorporate the lessons of executive failure. Highly recommended. (S. Q. KellyChoice)His particular lens of anaylsis deepens our understanding of how presidents come to make failed policy choices. (Public Administration Review)Why Presidents Failwill engage students and educate us all. Filled with wisdom and innovative thinking, it is a volume everyone interested in the presidency will want to read. (George C. Edwards III)