Pushing the Agenda: Presidential Leadership in U.S. Lawmaking, 1953-2004

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 systematic strategies presidents employ to influence Congress and the conditions that determine when those strategies work - or don't. Drawing on an eclectic array of original evidence - spanning presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush - Matthew N. Beckmann finds modern presidents' influence in Congress is real, often substantial, and, to date, largely underestimated.

Author: Matthew N. Beckmann
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 02/15/2010
Pages: 210
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780521162913

About the Author
Beckmann, Matthew N.: - Matthew N. Beckmann is Assistant Professor of Political Science at UC Irvine, where he studies Washington politics, particularly that involving the White House. His work has appeared in the Journal of Politics, the Journal of Theoretical Politics, Political Research Quarterly, and Political Communication. Professor Beckmann received his BA from UCLA and his PhD from the University of Michigan.