Pushing the Agenda
Presidential Leadership in US Lawmaking, 1953–2004

Pushing the Agenda reveals the predictable nature of presidents' policy making opportunities and the strategies presidents employ to exploit those opportunities.

Matthew N. Beckmann (Author)

9780521760140, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 15 February 2010

208 pages, 33 b/w illus. 1 map 22 tables
23.5 x 16.1 x 2 cm, 0.44 kg

"an eminently readable, insightful, and carefully constructed book. It is recommended to scholars of the presidency and of the interaction between the executive and legislative branches. It would be a fine addition to undergraduate and graduate courses on these topics." -John D. Griffin, University of Colorado—Boulder, Congress & The Presidency

Today's presidents enter office having campaigned on an ambitious policy agenda, eager to see it enacted, and willing to push so that it is. The central question of presidents' legislative leadership, therefore, is not a question of resolve, it is a question of strategy: by what means can presidents build winning coalitions for their agenda? Pushing the Agenda uncovers the answer. It reveals the predictable nature of presidents' policy making opportunities and the systematic strategies White House officials employ to exploit those opportunities. Drawing on an eclectic array of original evidence - spanning presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush and issues ranging from education to energy, and healthcare to taxes - Matthew N. Beckmann finds modern presidents' influence in Congress is real, often substantial, and - to date - largely underestimated.

1. Introduction
2. A theory of positive presidential power
3. Case study: pushing President Bush's 2001 tax cut
4. Winning key votes, 1953–2004
5. Signing new laws, 1953–2004
6. The practice and potential of presidential leadership
Appendix: archival study technical details.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]