Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again
(Hardback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again
By (Author) Elaine C. Kamarck
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Brookings Institution
26th July 2016
United States
Classifications
Professional and Scholarly
Non Fiction
Police and security services
Political leaders and leadership
History of the Americas
352.230973
Physical Properties
Hardback
204
Width 141mm, Height 216mm, Spine 13mm
281g
Description
"At the beginning of the century, the majority of Americans were satisfied with the way things were going in the United States. And then a slow decline began, seemingly uninterrupted by changes in party or achievements by the White House. As the campaigning for the next president begins, the question we ask ourselves now is who will be the most competent leader In Why Presidents Fail and How They Can Succeed Again, Elaine Kamarck asks another important question: When did Americans lose faith in their leaders And how can they get it back
Kamarack argues that presidents today spent too much time talking, and not enough time governing. After decades of "imperial" and "rhetorical" presidencies, we are in need of a "managerial" president. In her fully readable and accessible book, she explains the difficulties of governing in our modern political landscape, and offers examples and recommendations of how our next president can not only recreate faith in leadership, but also run a competent, successful administration."
Reviews
In the Broadway musical Hamilton, George Washington tells Alexander Hamilton, who is fulminating about Congress's failure to adopt his proposal for a national bank, "Winning was easy. Governing's harder." Kamarck (Brookings Institution) presents a handful of case studies of presidential governance failures that illustrate how recent presidents' distance from and inattention to the executive establishment have caused the loss of lives, the decline of presidential popularity, and the growth of Americans' distrust of government. Kamarck argues that the requirements of "the permanent campaign" have led presidents to court the public to the point that they now often treat "the government [they] lead [as] an afterthoughtuntil it takes down [their] presidency. Recommended.CHOICE
It's amazing how much we talk about politicians and how little we talkabout what politicians actually do. Politicians govern. Elaine Kamarck has
rectified that brilliantly in Why Presidents Fail, showing that an inability to govern effectively is at the heart of recent presidential failures. This is crucial information, compellingly told.
Joe Klein, columnist, Time Magazine
Elaine Kamarcks book is a must-read for all presidential candidates,
correspondents, students of government, and citizens who hunger for Washington to function well again. Theres a stick of dynamite in every chapter.
Donna Brazile, commentator, CNN
White House failures have occurred so oftenDesert Storm, 9/11, Katrina, Iraq, the VA, the Health Care Rolloutthat many think them inevitable. Not so argues Elaine Kamarck, widely respected as both academic andpractitioner. Presidents should talk less and manage more; stop the perpetual campaign and start governing. This book should go to the top of the required reading list for our next chief executive.
David Gergen, professor of public service and co-director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School
Why have so many modern presidencies begun in hope and ended in disappointment In this concise and trenchant book, Elaine Kamarck offers
a convincing answer: Too many presidents have neglected a vital part of their job, managing the federal government. Kamarcks compelling case studies of political disasters are page-turnersa label few books on public administration ever get. Every American should read this book before voting. Would-be White House aides should read it more than once.
Doyle McManus, Washington columnist, Los Angeles Times
In this magnificent and timely book, Elaine Kamarck unlocks vital truths
about why modern presidents so often failand what they must do to succeed.
Writing as both a superb scholar and a seasoned White House adviser, her
case-based analyses of several recent presidencies leave none of conventional academic wisdom unchallenged. This wise book will be read by scholars and students for generations to comeand it ought to be read by the president, top White House aides, and cabinet leaders right now!
John J. Dilulio Jr., Frederic Fox Leadership Professor, University of Pennsylvania
Author Bio
"Elaine C. Kamarck is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at Brookings and the founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management. She is also on the faculty of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a public sector scholar with wide experience in government, academia, and politics. Kamarck is an expert on government innovation and reform in the United States, OECD countries, and developing countries. In addition, she focuses her research on the presidential nomination system and American politics and has worked in several American presidential campaigns."
