The Modern American Presidency

by Lewis L. Gould, Richard Norton Smith (Foreword by)

An interpretive synthesis of the twentieth-century presidency examines how the role of the president evolved into a celebrity figure, tracing a decline of the party system and the growing importance of the media.

Genres: History, Politics, American History, Presidents, Nonfiction

318 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

Lewis Ludlow Gould is Eugene C. Barker Professor Emeritus in American History at the University of Texas in Austin. Gould earned an A.B. from Brown University in 1961, and an M.A. (1962) and Ph.D. (1966) from Yale University.

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my GR friend Matt who got me thinking about our 20th Century presidents with his review of a book on Eisenhower. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Then I saw this on the library shelf and I started to ask: What is the modern American presidency? Gould starts with William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt and takes us through the Clinton presidency. He points out that McKinley’s team was following his image in the newspapers on a daily basis and that before Franklin Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge was holding press conferences and making sure that he could talk to the nation through the radio.

The reason that McKinley gets included is likely because of George B. Cortelyou. Gould credits him with transitioning the President from simply a chief executive to: “newsmaker, agenda setter, public educator, and uber celebrity.”

Gould has a lot of admiration for Eisenhower: “He had seen the administrative chaos, as he perceived it, under Roosevelt, and he was not impressed with what seemed to him Truman’s backroom manner…Eisenhower came to the White House…with certain ideas about the system, or lack of system under which it operated. Gould calls him “a maker of the modern presidency…”

“Mr. Gould, a professor emeritus in American history at the University of Texas, has long been celebrated as a reliable authority on American politics. Karl Rove, President Bush's senior adviser, credits Mr. Gould with inspiring him to study American history, and Vice President Dick Cheney has lauded his work. But these conservative accolades are deceptive. In the preface to ''Grand Old Party'' Mr. Gould reassures the reader that he is ''not a Republican'' in his ''personal political views.'' He wants to be perceived as a party chronicler, not advocate.” [New York Times review of Gould’s Grand Old Party]

More than a decade ago, Gould showed concern about how media manipulation “bogs down” our presidents. His recommendation that presidents reduce their campaign appearances and staged events is unlikely to be adopted in what I see of 2019 and where we are headed.

Yes, I am avoiding the elephant in the room because we have seen how the American Presidency has changed in the 21st Century. I do not know exactly how Gould would integrate Obama and Trump into his observations. But he is still around, so we may eventually find out.

[Hattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 185 for me this year, and perhaps the one I am most proud of completing. It took some effort. Politics is not my forte. But that is exactly why I needed this book: acknowledging my need to be less ignorant In this regard, I was seeking a book that offered more than a trivial summation, but not toooo much more. This one struck a perfect balance for me — while I realize it is just one perspective and surely far from exhaustive, I know have a sense of the defining traits of Roosevelt, FDR, Eisenhower etc... and of McKinley and Taft and Ford as well. I am now equipped with the beginnings, as though given the basic alphabet, upon which I can proceed to build and grow and learn more and more. This is exactly what I wished for, and Mr. Gould delivered it brilliantly.

[Nicholas Grummon · Rating 3 out of 5]

LBJ’s “credibility gap”, a takeoff on the missile gap of a few years earlier.
The modern presidency is in essence the continuous campaign, the downside of which is that every presidential decision is seen only through a partisan lens.
- A nice synopsis of the twentieth century presidents, offering just enough detail on each one to build Gould’s theme about the direction of the modern presidency. The sections got increasingly silly as the time period got closer to when the book was published. Gould absolutely hated Clinton but that section was so funny. Slick Willie is the goat.
B-

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, succinct study of the American presidents between McKinley and Clinton and how they each helped shape the executive office to a much more significant role than, say, during the antebellum era. I would have loved to have seen an update, including looks at Presidents George W. Bush, Obama, and even Trump, but this book came out about 15 years ago and hasn't been provided a recent update.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave a great middle of the road take on each presidency in the 1900s, especially comparing each strengths and weaknesses to each other. A great read to learn more about how each president shaped the office.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Gould for providing gorgeous nuggets of information for my charming History a level 😌😌

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting overview of the 20th century America presidency and how the presidency evolves per president.

[Frank Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and thoughtful look at the Presidents from McKinley to Bush, with a focus on their relationship to the press and to the executive office itself.

Gould actually gives a lot of credit for the creation of the modern office to McKinley. He made the White House as opposed to Congress the center of public attention by opening a press room in the White House during the Spanish-American War. McKinley was also the first to authorize, using the "independent action of the executive," the use of expert commissions to both study and run government functions, starting in the Philippines. By 1900 some were already complaining about a new kind of "government by commission." His assistant George Cortelyou also organized the modern hierarchy in the office and its filing system, and carried his expertise over into assisting Teddy Roosevelt.

Gould also highlights such important transformations in the presidency as the first presidential speechwriter, Judson Welliver, the former Iowa journalist who finally gave syntax and order to the speeches of Warren G. Harding, and later Calvin Coolidge (since everyone was a "clerk" in those days he was employed as a "literary clerk" by the President.) Harding actually made some other important innovations, like the first Budget Bureau (though it was then in the Treasury Department, not the White House), and his cabinet secretary, Herbert Hoover, proffered a suggestion to organize the War and Navy Departments into a single Department of Defense (which wouldn't happen for another 30 years).

The tone of the book does get a little angrier as it approaches the present, and the writer more and more frequently decries the "continuous campaign" that has arisen, but he almost goes off the deep end with the Clinton and Bush chapters. His rage against the congressional Republicans that impeached Clinton (admittedly few people's idea of a selfless act) is shocking, and often takes him beyond the nominal focus of his book. In Bush, his bile for the former President is so strong as to taint everything it touches, making this chapter just a laundry list of complaints familiar to anyone who lived through those years.

Still, for a succinct and clear look at the presidency as both an office and a succession of individuals, this is a good start.

[Govhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gould's book is phenomenally concise, analytical, and has just the right touch of witticisms required to entice to even the most hesitant of readers. The modern American presidency is one of trials and tribulations, it seeks to understand the complexity of government and reckon with the struggles faced by presidents ranging from Theodore Roosevelt to Barack Obama. Perhaps the greatest lesson this book forces the reader to understand, is the importance of presidents realising the multi-faceted approach their campaigning and administration must take. For example, George W. Bush was able to create a constant campaign which allowed him to secure that ever elusive second term - although Gould rightly points out the intellectual fallacy of this popular belief - yet failed to recognise the importance of planning out his governing strategy. Similarly, Democrat presidents failed to establish the idea of continuous campaigning and far too many in the office have forgotten the power of media to meld public opinion. This, Gould establishes, is crucial. In particular, I enjoyed considering how the role of media evolved and the importance of keeping the media happy - Clinton might have gotten himself out of tight corners with his quick thinking, but this only agitated confused journalists and his Republican opposition further.

I would love to see Gould's perception of the entirety of Barack Obama's presidency and what he would make of the chaotic Trump administration - is this the crisis that he fears America would not survive? Whilst it's questionable if America or any other country can emerge fully unscathed from any administration, Gould's ideas still ring true. I also loved the choice of photographs and felt that because they were all black and white, it gave the sense of continuity and this idea of a long line of succession rather than separate administrations.

Every administration is connected to its predecessor and its heir - without that understanding, the way in which historians and politicians alike can accurately perceive the presidency is futile.

Highly recommend this book if you get the chance to read it. I have lots more thoughts to add on this book, so I'll probably be adding some more from time to time - otherwise, go get a copy of this book ASAP. It takes a little time to get used to the style, but it's so worth it.

[Earl Ecklund III · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume published in 2003, Gould tracks the growth and development of the modern Presidency in the 20th century. The modern Presidency is based on a system of organizing the office to be more responsive to challenges and to filter out lesser matters from the President's attention. It also emphasizes the use of what Theodore Roosevelt called the Bully Pulpit in sharing the president's message.

Gould traces the origins to George B. Cortelyou who served under William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. It was Cortelyou who first pioneered an organizational structure for the flow of information to the president.

Each subsequent President has added to this in various ways such as the use of mass media, holding of press conferences, increased staffing in the executive branch & the chronic campaign mentality that has become common today.

Gould expertly analyzes the changes down through Bill Clinton. I found this book thoughtful and excellent. I highly recommend it to any student of the American Presidency

[Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading about one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. These guys turn out to be most ordinary guys who are given the opportunity to most extraordinary things. And, for the most part, they do accomplish extraordinary things. With the exception of the idiot that is currently occupying the White House now; I really enjoy reading about the American Presidents.
Each one shapes and changes the presidency in their own unique way. A really good read.

[Iggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very superficial survey of the American presidency from early 1900's. Serve more as an introductory rather than an analytical work of history.

[Yunis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be somewhat informative. I think if the author focus on shorter time period, it have been more informative.

[Kirk Bower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief history of the Presidents from McKinley to Clinton.