Book Summary and Review: Going Public by Samuel Kernell
Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership by Samuel Kernell
OVERALL:
Presidents use sympathetic crowds rally public opinion to his side (promote himself and his policies) going public remains a potent weapon in the president’s arsenal, for advocating his own agenda and blocking initiatives from adversaries in Congress.
This strategy continues to evolve given the intense polarization of Congress and the electroate AND changes in communications technology
Implications of these factors (especially in combination) on the future of presidential leadership the lessons of 9/11 on going public in foreign affairs
Going public means making direct appeals to voters in order to scare Congress into passing legislation that hte president wants. this is not the only strategy, and choosing gp over other options has its costs.
Central question of the book: Why should presidents come to favor a strategy of leadership that appears so incompatible with the principles of pluralist theory? (p11) pluralism (in politics): political system of power-sharing among a number of political parties a system in which two or more states, groups, principles sources of authority, etc. coexist.
Kernell’s answer to this: divided government makes bargaining a less appealing and successful strategy, forcing presidents into their public appeals. main argument sequence of the book: only outsiders can go public why going public is a new strategy: institutionalized vs. individualized pluralism other (less important) reasons that going public is a new strategy constraints on going public
CHAPTER SUMMARIES:
Introduction: Going Public in Theory and Practice power of the president and how he bargains in washington why the president would choose to “go public”
Example: Ronald Reagan - accomplished more because of his success in going public. the trend of “going public” was led by Ronald Reagan (“The Great Communicator”) see Chapter
Chapter 2: How Washington Has
OVERALL:
Presidents use sympathetic crowds rally public opinion to his side (promote himself and his policies) going public remains a potent weapon in the president’s arsenal, for advocating his own agenda and blocking initiatives from adversaries in Congress.
This strategy continues to evolve given the intense polarization of Congress and the electroate AND changes in communications technology
Implications of these factors (especially in combination) on the future of presidential leadership the lessons of 9/11 on going public in foreign affairs
Going public means making direct appeals to voters in order to scare Congress into passing legislation that hte president wants. this is not the only strategy, and choosing gp over other options has its costs.
Central question of the book: Why should presidents come to favor a strategy of leadership that appears so incompatible with the principles of pluralist theory? (p11) pluralism (in politics): political system of power-sharing among a number of political parties a system in which two or more states, groups, principles sources of authority, etc. coexist.
Kernell’s answer to this: divided government makes bargaining a less appealing and successful strategy, forcing presidents into their public appeals. main argument sequence of the book: only outsiders can go public why going public is a new strategy: institutionalized vs. individualized pluralism other (less important) reasons that going public is a new strategy constraints on going public
CHAPTER SUMMARIES:
Introduction: Going Public in Theory and Practice power of the president and how he bargains in washington why the president would choose to “go public”
Example: Ronald Reagan - accomplished more because of his success in going public. the trend of “going public” was led by Ronald Reagan (“The Great Communicator”) see Chapter
Chapter 2: How Washington Has