Overreach: Leadership in the Obama Presidency

by George C. Edwards, III III

Overview

How Obama overestimated the power of rhetoric and persuasion during his presidency

When Barack Obama became president, many Americans embraced him as a transformational leader who would fundamentally change the politics and policy of the country. Yet, two years into his administration, the public resisted his calls for support and Congress was deadlocked over many of his major policy proposals. How could this capable new president have difficulty attaining his goals? Did he lack tactical skills?

In Overreach, respected presidential scholar George Edwards argues that the problem was strategic, not tactical. He finds that in President Obama's first two years in office, Obama governed on the premise that he could create opportunities for change by persuading the public and some congressional Republicans to support his major initiatives. As a result, he proposed a large, expensive, and polarizing agenda in the middle of a severe economic crisis. The president's proposals alienated many Americans and led to a severe electoral defeat for the Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections, undermining his ability to govern in the remainder of his term.

Edwards shows that the president's frustrations were predictable and the inevitable result of misunderstanding the nature of presidential power. The author demonstrates that the essence of successful presidential leadership is recognizing and exploiting existing opportunities, not in creating them through persuasion. When Obama succeeded in passing important policies, it was by mobilizing Democrats who were already predisposed to back him. Thus, to avoid overreaching, presidents should be alert to the limitations of their power to persuade and rigorously assess the possibilities for obtaining public and congressional support in their environments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691163314
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	06/23/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

George C. Edwards III is University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies at Texas A&M University. His many books include The Strategic President. He is the editor of Presidential Studies Quarterly.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

Chapter 1: Assessing Opportunities: Public Support 9

Chapter 2: Creating Opportunities? Going Public 36

Chapter 3: Evaluating Strategic Choices: Leading the Public 80

Chapter 4: Assessing Opportunities: Congressional Support 116

Chapter 5: Creating Opportunities? Leading Congress 135

Chapter 6: Evaluating Strategic Choices: Passing Legislation 157

Chapter 7: Persuasion and Opportunity in Presidential Leadership 179

Notes 189

Index 225

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"George Edwards has written a cogently argued, data-driven analysis of the Obama administration's failure to appreciate the opportunities and limitations of exercising power in the American political system. In the process, Edwards shows the relevancy of his and other scholarship for presidents, their advisers, and serious students of the American presidency."—Stephen J. Wayne, Georgetown University

"In this provocative, accessible, and timely volume, George Edwards presents a sobering analysis not just of the Obama presidency, but of the very possibility of transformative political change. Overreach constitutes a valuable reminder that what the public expects of presidents, and what presidents expect of themselves, often amounts to a gross exaggeration of what is genuinely possible. Moreover, this book argues, presidents who proceed undaunted risk paying a significant political cost."—William G. Howell, University of Chicago

"George Edwards is our leading analyst of the probabilities of presidential power. He shows that presidents are most effective at the margins, when they exploit existing opportunities rather than when they try to build new coalitions. And when they succeed (as with Obamacare) they might well be careful what they wish for. This book is a superb analysis of Obama's leadership style, and is essential reading for White House counselors."—Richard Pious, Barnard College

Editorial Reviews

"In Overreach, Edwards applies 'lessons learned' from his previous work on presidential leadership to the Obama presidency. Edwards argues that presidents do not create political opportunities, but must identify political openings and capitalize on existing political opportunities. . . . A readable book that will find a home in undergraduate courses on the U.S. presidency."

Choice

"A valuable addition to the understanding of US polity."—-R. Balashankar, Organiser

"For more than two decades George C. Edwards has been carefully laying out a clear and consistently articulated argument about the nature of American politics. . . . Edwards's body of work is interesting in that each book builds upon the others. His newest book, Overreach: Leadership in the Obama Presidency, links his prior insights together and extends them into an analysis and critique of one incumbent president, Barack Obama."—-Richard W. Waterman, American Review of Politics

From the Publisher

Obama’s team entered office under the assumption that “the recession left public opinion malleable and highly responsive to bold leadership,” but this study of Obama’s efforts to achieve too much too quickly shows how wrong this belief was. Political scientist Edwards (The Strategic President), a presidency scholar at Texas A&M, points out that given the recession, Bush’s massive TARP program, and several industry bailouts, a risk averse public was wary of new governmental initiatives. Using the bruising and barely won battle over health care reform as a case study, he reveals that a plurality of the public never favored it while the president has had difficulty framing the debate against a welter of competing media voices. Edwards’s analysis is particularly strong on the collapse of bipartisanship in Congress, and he marshals an impressive amount of data on public opinion and congressional voting records. However, his overall thesis that presidents “are not in strong positions to create opportunities for legislative success” but must use existing opportunities, is not fully fleshed out. He also falls short by ending with a discussion of the 2011 debt ceiling showdown instead of potential ways for Obama’s administration to move forward. Despite such omissions, this remains a clear, well-documented study of the limits on presidential power and influence. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Overreach is a clear and instructive essay, which, with an impressive amount of data (polls, television audience statistics, Congressional voting, and so on), confirms the arguments Edwards has been making since 2003.

Books and Ideas.net - Aurelie Godet

A valuable addition to the understanding of US polity.

Organiser - R. Balashankar

For more than two decades George C. Edwards has been carefully laying out a clear and consistently articulated argument about the nature of American politics. . . . Edwards's body of work is interesting in that each book builds upon the others. His newest book, Overreach: Leadership in the Obama Presidency, links his prior insights together and extends them into an analysis and critique of one incumbent president, Barack Obama.

American Review of Politics - Richard W. Waterman

A valuable addition to the understanding of US polity.
— R. Balashankar

Organiser