A Review of “Presidential Leadership in Political Time: Reprise and Reappraisal”

Abstract

Existing scholarship on the electoral careers of U.S. Senate appointees has made progress toward identifying the determinants of appointee success and failure in the electoral arena. This study builds on these analyses by considering the universe of Senate appointees and examining each stage of the electoral process, including the decision to run. In addition, appointee personal characteristics, including gender and dynastic familial relationships, which have not been investigated in past work are examined here. The results demonstrate the centrality of personal attributes, specifically previous elective office and familial connections, to the electoral fate of appointees. These findings have implications for governors who make appointments, the role of family dynasties in elections, and the elements of incumbency that help to create electoral advantage.     

A Review of “Going Local: Presidential Leadership in the Post-Broadcast Age”

In 1974, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives adopted major reforms in their committee assignment process. Drawing upon interviews with participants and personal observation, we identify the major differences and similarities in the new and old assignment mechanisms and in their environments. The formal and informal procedural changes, in turn, lead to a set of expectations about the role and significance of the characteristics of requesters and Committee on Committees (CC) members in postreform assignment decisions. These expectations are tested using previously unavailable CC ballot tallies for assignments in the 95th-97th Congresses. These data permit us to peer into the “black box” of the assignment process and to avoid questionable assumptions about who is nominated and the mechanism by which they are elected. Despite the presence of significant changes in the process, few differences in the factors shaping assignment decisions are found. Still, the openness of the new environment and the nominal control of the process by elected party leaders have helped eliminate rumors of manipulation and conspiracy that frequently surrounded Ways and Means deliberations.     

A Review of “The Presidential Pardon Power”

James E. Anderson and Jared E. Hazelton, Managing Macroeconomic Policy: The Johnson Presidency. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1986. Pp. 285; $27.50.

Kathleen J. Turner, Lyndon Johnson's Dual War: Vietnam and the Press. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985. Pp. 385; $25.00 hardbound; $9.95 softbound.

Daniel C. Hallin, The "Uncensored War": The Media and Vietnam. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Pp. 285; $24.95.     

A Review of “Primary Politics: How the Presidential Candidates Have Shaped the Modern Nominating System”

Arnold, Peri E. Making the Managerial Presidency: Comprehensive Reorganization Planning 1906-1980. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1986. Pp. xiv, 374. $37.50.

Edwards, George C. Ill, Steven A. Shull, and Norman C. Thomas, eds. The Presidency and Public Policy Making. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985. Pp. xix, 227. Hardbound $24.95; softbound $9.95.

Pfiffner, James P., ed. The President and Economic Policy. Pittsburgh, PA: Institute for the Study of Human Issues, 1986. Pp. x, 271. Hardbound $35.00; softbound $14.95.