The Shifting Twenty-First-Century Presidency: Assessing the Implications for America and the World

The role and range of the American presidency has undergone significant changes in the twenty-first century, with George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and now Joe Biden transforming the office in distinct ways. Many but not all of these changes stem from the numerous crises of this young century: 9/11 and the resulting war on terror, Hurricane Katrina, the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the social unrest of 2020.

While crisis brings rapid change, there are other factors at work as well. Increased polarization has led presidents of both parties to press existing rules and norms to their limits in an attempt to accomplish more during their brief tenures. The result is a lot of policy and structural change in a short period, including new cabinet departments, new election rules, and significantly increased spending and debt, among other things. For the most part, these changes have occurred with little thought to what it all means for the functionality and stability of our democratic institutions and, consequently, our nation's capacity to address the needs as well as the aspirations of the American people.

The Bipartisan Policy Center's Tevi Troy has brought together a group of presidential scholars and political experts to address these important issues and to reflect on how the presidency has changed and what it might mean for the future. Contributors include Elaine Kamarck (former aide to President Clinton), Jonathan Burks (former chief of staff to Speaker Paul Ryan), Kenneth Baer (former aide to presidents Clinton and Obama), and Kristen Soltis Anderson (Republican pollster and radio host).

Author: Tevi Troy
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Published: 04/03/2024
Pages: 184
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.94lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.56d
ISBN: 9780700636464

About the Author
Troy, Tevi: - Tevi Troy is a senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute,
a Senior Scholar at Yeshiva University's Straus Center, and a former Deputy
Secretary of HHS and senior White House aide. He is the author of five books on
the presidency, including The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between
Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry.