The Opposition Presidency
The Opposition Presidency

Author: David A. Crockett

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 9781585441570

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When a president’s governing philosophy is out of step with the dominant ideology of the culture, his options for leadership are much different FROM those of a leader more in sync with the times. Such opposition leaders face distinctive challenges and opportunities for effectiveness. They should be judged by different standards, argues political scientist David Crockett. Crockett has analyzed presidents from Whig times through the Clinton presidency to develop a model for understanding presidential success and the strategies that are appropriate to the circumstances. Focusing on the terms of TWELVE opposition presidents, Crockett details the approaches they have taken to maximize their own goals and maintain political power. He illustrates vividly how these leaders must balance personal and partisan success and he lays out the relationship between personality or character and the larger political context. All opposition presidents face roughly the same type of leadership situation governing in an era in which they do not control the power to define politics but Crockett’s broad historical perspective demonstrates that they do not all handle this situation in the same way. Studying the presidency in such a political context enables Crockett to break free of the one-size-fits-all model of presidential leadership. Leadership strategies are contingent and context-bound, and the wise president understands the constraints history places on his leadership. In the case of opposition presidents, history demonstrates that pursuing a path of moderation is far healthier than launching a frontal assault on the governing party. It is healthier for the president and his party and healthier for the political system as a whole. Breaking free of the standard focus on post-World War II presidencies, this historically rich, analytically sophisticated, and extremely readable volume offers challenging understandings of presidential effectiveness. Students of American politics will join scholars of the presidency in welcoming its innovative and tightly argued perspectives.

Running against the Grain
Running against the Grain

Author: David A. Crockett

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2009-03-01

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 160344131X

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Some presidents enter office with an uphill climb in front of them: their political party represents a different governing philosophy than the dominant strain of the day. These, David A. Crockett says, are “opposition presidents.” If they are, in a sense, out of step with their times, how do they ever get elected in the first place? In Running against the Grain: How Opposition Presidents Win the White House, Crockett employs historical comparisons to draw conclusions about what it takes for these candidates to win the office. He focuses on seven presidents in twelve elections: William Henry Harrison (1840) and Zachary Taylor (1848), Grover Cleveland (1884 and 1892) and Woodrow Wilson (1912 and 1916), Dwight Eisenhower (1952 and 1956) and Richard Nixon (1968 and 1972), and Bill Clinton (1992 and 1996). Crockett draws on the work of Stephen Skowronek and others in the tradition of American political development to establish the periodization for his study. Through a comparative analysis of victorious opposition candidates, Crockett finds explanations that transcend specific campaigns or even specific eras. He contends that, because the way one acquires the office may have an effect on the practice of leadership in the office, “running against the grain” has implications far beyond Election Day.

Disloyal Opposition
Disloyal Opposition

Author: Julie Kelly

Publisher: Encounter Books

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 187

ISBN-13: 1641771151

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The election of Donald Trump in 2016 didn’t just shock the country, it jolted the Republican Party and forced an overdue reckoning between rank-and-file Republicans and party leadership. Long-held beliefs promoted by the Republican Party establishment were smashed in real time as Republican voters, and millions of Obama voters especially in the Midwest, rejected the bi-party consensus on illegal immigration, international trade pacts, and losing foreign wars. The GOP—and the conservative movement—was upended by a brash Manhattan mogul who connected with coveted working-class voters in a way no other Republican presidential candidate had in three decades. Stung by his ascendancy as Republican voters rejected one establishment candidate after another during the presidential primaries, exiled conservative leaders banded together to form what is known as “NeverTrump.” This cabal of self-proclaimed conservatives includes two former Republican presidential nominees, former Republican lawmakers and Bush administration officials, campaign consultants, and editors and writers at top conservative publications. After failing to stop Trump in 2016, NeverTrump became part of #TheResistance, a crusade primarily organized by the Left to sabotage Trump’s presidency. The very same people who had used the Republican Party as their vehicle for power, fame, and influence are actively working to destroy the party’s leader and punish Trump-supporting Republicans in Washington. NeverTrump helped deceive the public about nonexistent Russian election collusion and supported impeaching the president. Some jumped on the Left’s mob against Brett Kavanaugh and the Covington Catholic High School students. NeverTrump opposed nearly every Trump policy without offering any alternative to what they derisively called “Trumpism.” At the same time, NeverTrump became what they claimed to despise about Donald Trump: petty, vengeful, bombastic, reactionary, and abusive. As a result, it’s imperative that those associated with NeverTrump never hold a place of influence in the GOP again.

Running Against the Grain: how Opposition Presidents Win the White House
Running Against the Grain: how Opposition Presidents Win the White House

Author: David A. Crockett

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 1603443614

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Some presidents enter office with an uphill climb in front of them: their political party represents a different governing philosophy than the dominant strain of the day. These, David A. Crockett says, are "opposition presidents." If they are, in a sense, out of step with their times, how do they ever get elected in the first place? In Running against the Grain: How Opposition Presidents Win the White House, Crockett employs historical comparisons to draw conclusions about what it takes for these candidates to win the office. He focuses on seven presidents in twelve elections: William Henry Harrison (1840) and Zachary Taylor (1848), Grover Cleveland (1884 and 1892) and Woodrow Wilson (1912 and 1916), Dwight Eisenhower (1952 and 1956) and Richard Nixon (1968 and 1972), and Bill Clinton (1992 and 1996). Crockett draws on the work of Stephen Skowronek and others in the tradition of American political development to establish the periodization for his study. Through a comparative analysis of victorious opposition candidates, Crockett finds explanations that transcend specific campaigns or even specific eras. He contends that, because the way one acquires the office may have an effect on the practice of leadership in the office, "running against the grain" has implications far beyond Election Day.

The Resistance
The Resistance

Author: David S. Meyer

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-07-30

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 019088620X

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Even before the 2016 presidential election took place, groups and individuals angry at Donald Trump, and frightened about what a Trump presidency could mean, were taking to the streets. After the election, and particularly after he inaugural, the protests continued. Over time, the Resistance was joined by a broad variety of groups and embraced an increasing diversity of tactics. In The Resistance, David S. Meyer and Sidney Tarrow have gathered together a cast of eminent scholars to tackle the emergence of a volatile and diverse movement directed against the Trump presidency. Collectively, the contributors examine the origins and concerns of different factions of this movement, and evaluate their prospects for surviving and exercising political influence. Through a range of analytical and methodological approaches, The Resistance offers both an overview of the broad scope of the emerging movement and sharp analyses of the campaign as it works through the numerous crises that the Trump era has introduced.

Television Access and Political Power
Television Access and Political Power

Author: Joe S. Foote

Publisher: Praeger

Published: 1990-05-30

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0275934381

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This volume chronicles the 60-year history of presidential and opposition access to network television. The system has brought unprecedented exposure to twentieth century presidents but has discriminated consistently against the opposition in Congress. Networks instead have placed themselves in the role of loyal opposition, operating as the President's counterpoint. In decline, hurt by defecting audiences and advertisers, the network system is now struggling to survive into the next century. The author envisions a new order which will have a profound effect on both political communication and the balance of political power. Television Access and Politcal Power explores the 60 year history, structure, and efficiency of a network communication system which has dominated American political communication during the twentieth century. Contrary to other countries in which clear-cut rules govern the government-broadcaster relationship, American networks are free to exercise their own judgement, regardless of the consequences. The author urges reform on a system that has not worked well for either political party.

The Presidency, Congress, and Divided Government
The Presidency, Congress, and Divided Government

Author: Richard S. Conley

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2002-11-27

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 1585442119

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Can presidents hope to be effective in policy making when Congress is ruled by the other party? Political scientist Richard Conley brings to this crucial discussion a fresh perspective. He argues persuasively that the conditions of divided government have changed in recent years, and he applies a rigorous methodology that allows the testing of a number of important assumptions about party control of the legislative process and the role of the president. Conley demonstrates that recent administrations have faced a very different playing field than those in the earlier post-war years because of such critical developments in electoral politics as decreasing presidential coattails and the lack of presidential popularity in opposition members’ districts. Moreover, he identifies several changes in the institutional setting in Congress that have affected both the legislative success rates of presidents’ programs and the strategies presidents pursue. These institutional factors include more assertive legislative majorities, changes in leadership structure, and increased party cohesion in voting. Conley uses both case studies and sophisticated time-series regression analyses to examine the floor success of presidential initiatives, the strategies presidents use in working with the legislature, and the use of veto power to achieve presidential aims. Scholars of the presidency and those interested in the larger American political process will find in this book both food for thought and a model of analytic sophistication.

The Politics Presidents Make
The Politics Presidents Make

Author: Stephen Skowronek

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1997-03-25

Total Pages: 592

ISBN-13: 9780674689374

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This study aims to demonstrate that presidents are persistent agents of change, continually disrupting and transforming the political landscape. The politics of the "third way" is also discussed in relation to Bill Clinton's political strategies.