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Presidential Paradoxes Session 44

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The paradox of the invention of the presidency To get the presidency approved ... Paradox #1 ... Paradox #2 ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Presidential Paradoxes Session 44


1
PresidentialParadoxes Session 44
2
  • He must have common opinions. But it is
    equally imperative that he be an uncommon man.
    The public must see themselves in him, but they
    must, at the same time, be confident that he is
    something bigger than themselves.
  • Harold Laski, The American Presidency (1940)
  • A law of opposites frequently influences the
    American Presidency. Once in office, President
    are seen to do things least expected of them,
    often things they had explicitly promised not to
    do. Previous commitments or perceived
    inclinations act as a kind of insurance that
    protects against any great loss if a President
    behaves contrary to expectation.
  • Daniel P. Moynihan, The New Republic, (1983)

3
  • The paradox of the invention of the presidency
    To get the presidency approved the framers had to
    leave several silences and ambiguities for fear
    of portraying the office as an overly centralized
    leadership institution. Yet when we need central
    leadership we turn to the president and read into
    Article II various prerogatives or inherent
    powers that allow the president to perform as an
    effective national leader

4
  • Paradox 1
  • Americans demand powerful, popular presidential
    leadership that solves the nations problems.
    Yet we are inherently suspicious of strong
    centralized leadership and the abuse of power.
    Thus we place significant limits on the
    presidents powers.

5
  • Paradox 2
  • We yearn for the democratic common person and
    also for the uncommon, charismatic, heroic
    visionary

6
  • Paradox 3
  • We want a decent, just, caring, and compassionate
    president, yet we admire a cunning, guileful, and
    on occasions that warrant it, even a ruthless,
    manipulative president.

7
  • Paradox 4
  • We admire the above politics nonpartisan or
    bipartisan approach, yet the presidency is
    perhaps the most political office in the American
    system, a system in which we need a creative
    entrepreneurial master politician.
  • Elected by a partisan system
  • Relies on his party members in Congress
  • President must keep interest group coalition
    satisfied
  • Competing views of the national interest

8
  • Paradox 4 (continued)
  • The president is political because the public is
    political
  • If I could go to heaven but with a party, I would
    not go there at all.
  • Thomas Jefferson

9
  • Paradox 5
  • We want a president who can unify us, yet the job
    requires taking firm stands, making unpopular or
    controversial decisions that necessarily divide
    us.
  • Whose interests?
  • Results versus means

10
  • Paradox 6
  • We expect our presidents to provide bold,
    visionary, innovative, programmatic leadership
    and at the same time to pragmatically respond to
    the will of public majorities that is to say, we
    expect presidents to lead and to follow, to
    exercise democratic leadership.

11
  • Paradox 7
  • Americans want powerful, self-confident
    presidential leadership. Yet we are inherently
    suspicious of leaders who are arrogant,
    infallible and above criticism

12
  • Paradox 8
  • What it takes to become president may not be what
    is needed to govern

13
  • Paradox 9
  • The presidency is sometimes too strong, yet other
    times too weak
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