Essay on Presidential Leadership

In the most widely quoted and discussed model of presidential power, Richard Neustadt states that the power of the president lies in the power to persuade. According to Neustadt, the key to presidential success and influence is persuasion. Although some may view the president as a powerful authority figure, the checks and balances established by the founders makes the president’s skills of persuasion crucial.

I start this project on Lincoln’s leadership very reluctantly. I am a history buff and have always viewed his leadership through the eyes of jaded historians. They have portrayed him as a dictator, incompetent, and a buffoon at some points. After reading the Donald T. Phillips book Lincoln on Leadership, my mindset was totally changed. This book broke down four key areas that produced an effective leader in Lincoln. These areas are character, people, endeavor, and communication. I will be sharing a principal from each key area that I found important and then conclude with an overall thought.

The most important leadership hat of the president is the Chief Executive Hat or power. In respect to this hat, the president of the United States has the power to enforce laws of the United States, create policies, appoint federal judges, and fires or hire officials or representatives within the executive branch. This hat is important because it enables the president to make decisions that help maintain the economic stability as well as the political stability of the country. For instance, by enforcing laws and appointing federal judges, the president is able to make decisions that help maintain stability within the United States. In turn, this enables economic indicators such as businesses to flourish efficiently.

The increasing power of the presidency in the domestic realm is evident in the growing ability of the president to set the policy agenda and use public opinion to control legislative outcomes. Going public is a strategy that is used by the president to promote his policies by appealing directly to the voters to pressure members of Congress to pass his legislative agenda or risk a contested primary. “Going public undermines the legitimacy of other politicians. It usurps

The president is constantly looking toward the state of nation’s defense. All major decisions and strategies are his to make alone. Likewise, the president is the nation's number 1 political boss. People look to the president as the leader for public opinion. Even though the president seems like he couldn’t take on many other roles, he is also the Chief of State, he is the leader of the rituals of the American Democracy.

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A good leader will simply just get the job done. A great leader will go beyond the expectations and set the standards for their successors. George Washington placed a high caliber for the title of president of the United States of America. In George Washington, The American Presidents Series: The 1st President, 1789-1797, James McGregor Burns and Susan Dunn explain Washington’s presidency, what he enforced, and what he had to deal with being the first president of a young nation. Having no predecessor, Washington had no one to look up to for the guidelines and had to set up the government from what he thought would work for the new nation. He would be the one establishing the ideals for a president. Burns and Dunn mediocrely exemplify Washington’s

"No one but the President," he said, "seems to be expected ... to look out for the general interests of the country"(Wilson). This quote given by President Woodrow Wilson, the twenty-eighth president of the United States, portrays one of many duties the president is required to fulfill. How much a president matters depends on many factors, not the least of which is the president’s own view of the office and leadership ability. The Constitution calls for power to be shared among the three branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial – and throughout American history Congress and the president have contended for dominance. Woodrow Wilson made significant decisions that greatly influenced

A president has to have character, right? I mean, if the leader of the free world has no substance, nothing special about him, then how do we as citizens know that he is capable as far as foreign policies go. How do we know that we can trust him to make wise decisions? How do we know that he will tell us the truth? This concept is exactly what fictional president Andrew Shepherd successfully conveys in his “Address to the Press on Bob Rumson and the Crime Bill.” In the movie, The American President, Andrew Shepherd becomes romantically involved with crime bill lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade. Many characters, including Bob Rumson, believe that the relationship between Shepherd and Wade is hindering the advancement of the country. They

Presidents of the United States of America have been around since the country became it’s own. Each president is given certain responsibilities and rights. Presidential power is listed in the Constitution but since then, there’s been room for more responsibilities to come into play. The powers exercised in the modern world surpass those included in the Constitution. Today, the president has a number of offices and departments serving under him. These institutions help keep the government together and everything running smoothly. The presidents rely on a number of other things. Some include elections, political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion. There are different kinds of powers granted to the president. While some

Each of us understand importance of leadership when it comes to our country. We all try to vote for the best person in elections because it matters who is in office. President make decisions concerning our lives, country, and the world. As a nation, we place no greater responsibility on any one individual than we do on the president. Therefore, leadership

The course of a presidency is shaped by decisions made before inauguration day. The choices a president-elect makes when staffing their White House determines how they will use the precious time they will spend in the Oval Office. The management style of a president is a function of the president’s personality with consequences for the future of the country. George W. Bush and Barack Obama are different men who constructed for themselves distinctly different White Houses, each with their own priorities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Leadership Evaluation and Philosophy: An Appraisal of Angela Merkel’s Leadership during the Euro Crisis and My Leadership Philosophy

George W. Bush, the 43 President of The United States of America, is one of the greatest leaders we have ever seen. In this essay I will describe why, I feel that Mr. Bush is a highly qualified leader for this country. Mr. Bush is highly educated, has the aptitude for being the President and is a great communicator. Mr. Bush is also a person of strong constitution or stability, extremely motivated and cooperative. The later being extremely important when one considers the close ratio of Democrats to Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate. Due to his high level of leadership potential I am of the opinion the US is currently being lead by one of the most capable and qualified candidates of recent memory.

The role of the President as Chief Executive is a complex matter because it covers a wide area of responsibility and involves many government agencies and offices, that the President is responsible for overseeing. The history of Chief Executive starts in the constitution with Article II section I “Executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America” this did not create the role although it was a front runner to it. Executive Power is understood to mean “seeing that laws are executed” this would be a hard task for one person to accomplish in a newly formed government let alone in today’s political world (Kalllenbach) . To briefly explain this requires and understanding of what it is, what it does and how it