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Personality and Politics

Obama For and Against Himself

Stephen J Wayne author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:SAGE Publications Inc

Published:12th May '11

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Personality and Politics cover

Renowned presidential scholar Stephen Wayne takes a close look at the interplay of personal character, partisan politics, and public opinion on presidential decision-making. In this systematic character study, Wayne considers how President Obama’s policy beliefs and operating style fueled his meteoric success as a candidate, but have had a decidedly mixed impact on his governance as president. Arguing that character matters, Wayne shows that Obama’s personal dimensions both contribute and detract from his policy achievements and political goals.

Taking into account the environment in which he took office up through the "shellacking" of the Democrats in November 2010, the book looks at how Obama has dealt with the troubled economy and a polarized political climate. Wayne sets his study within the larger literature on presidential character and explores the broader questions surrounding presidential leadership in a democratic society: Do presidents lead or follow public opinion? To what extent do leadership skills make a difference? What kind of policy and political impact can presidents have in the twenty-first century?

The impact of presidential personality on governing in the White House is one of the great puzzles of presidential politics. There is no one better than Steve Wayne at helping us solve this puzzle and achieve a better understanding of the Obama presidency

-- George C. Edwards III

This fine book goes a long way toward capturing the essence of the complex, elusive, and politically important Barack Obama.

-- Fred I. Greenstein

Stephen Wayne combines the rigor of a political scientist with the insights of a psychologist to explain how President Obama’s character intersects with politics to produce the policies of his administration. Wayne explores the tensions between Obama’s ideals and the reality of American politics as well as the fissures between his transformational vision and his transactional style. If you want to know what makes Obama tick, this book is a good place to start

-- James P. Pfif

ISBN: 9781608716944

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 290g

176 pages