The American Presidency: Evolution in Time

2445 Words5 Pages

The American Presidency: Evolution in Time

The American Presidency is undoubtedly one of the most widely recognized popular icons throughout the world. Although to most foreigners or those who have never resided in the United States or know little of its history, the executive branch of government may seem to be as dull and unyielding as the rest of the American politics, for those few rare individuals who have taken the time to examine and closely scrutinize this office of the American political system and its recent history, quite the opposite will be said. Unlike Congressional or local elections where typically a number of individuals of the same ideological background must be elected in order for a particular issue to be addressed by the government, when it comes to the presidency, one person, although checked by various other divisions of the same government, has the power and responsibility to literally, as history has proven, change the world. The American people, "like all people everywhere, want to have our (political) cake and eat it too. We want a lot of leadership, but we are notoriously lousy followers" (Genovese). In other words the expectations the public has of the executive office are ever-changing since we demand that our leaders keep up with the evolving world around us and them. Throughout the past seventy eventful years alone, the American people's views, perceptions and demands of the Executive Office of American government have evolved simultaneously with the political and social events of that same time period.

The 1930s was a time of not only political turmoil abroad, but of economic chaos on the home-front as well. After President Herbert C. Hoover's Presidency took the blame for launching the ...

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...atter? The Role of Charisma in Public Leadership." Congress & the Presidency 29 (2002): 25-47.

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Iyengar, Shanto. "Public Opinion." 10 Nov. 2004 <http://ap.grolier.com/article?assetid=023 82400&templatename=/article/article.ht ml >

Rosen A., Elliot. "Roosevelt, Franklin Delano." 10 Nov. 2004

<http: //ap. grolier. com/article?assetid=02501700&templatename=/article/article.ht ml >

Saltzman, Joe. "All the News that Fits Our Views." USA Today Sept. 25, 2004: 55.

Shea, Christopher. "Americans More United in Social Views." The Chronicle of Higher Education 43 (1997): A18.

Weinstein, Michael A., Weinstein, Deena. "Hail to the Shrub: Mediating the Presidency." The American Behavioral Scientist 46 (2002): 566-581.

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