Description
An interpretive synthesis of the twentieth-century presidency examines how the role of the president evolved into a celebrity figure, tracing a decline of the party system and the growing importance of the media.
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The modern presidency, in the formulation of Gould (emeritus, history, U. of Texas at Austin), is characterized by the accretion of White House bureaucracy, formalized relations with Congress, greater power for the president as commander in chief, and the emergence of "presidential stardom." While many historians mark Franklin Roosevelt's administration as the first modern presidency, Gould traces its earliest manifestations to the tenure of William McKinley and argues that it had emerged virtually full formed by 1921. He also makes the case for considering the Republican administrations of Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover important in the formation of modern presidential management, especially in terms of media relations. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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