In order to understand how Donald Trump's character was thought to be a good fit for the presidency by many Americans, this book reaches back into history to examine the individual characters of the contemporary presidents. Institutional reforms, political events, and cultural changes have altered societal expectations about the appropriate character of a president and what constitutes presidential leadership. Applying a framework of courage, curiosity, and compassion, Lara M. Brown brings character analysis together with leadership approaches in examining the crucial third year of any presidency to gauge its success or failure.
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The quadrennial presidential election is the foremost event in American politics. Though it is, as Tocqueville notes, “a time of national crisis,” it is also the time when citizens put their faith in democracy and choose the nation’s next leader. Significantly, it is also the time when a handful of Americans jump onto the presidential racetrack and begin jockeying to win the White House. Even though a president’s constituency is all of America, electoral success is achieved through both partisan structures and federal institutions. In short, attaining the presidency involves winning two contests: a major party nomination and a general election.
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Selected Scholarly Journal Articles:
"The Personal is Political: Reconsidering the Impact of Congressional Scandals on Incumbents," with Jeff Gulati, Congress and the Presidency (2021)
"Narratives of a Race: How the Media Judged a Presidential Debate," with Zim Nwokora, American Politics Research (2017)
“The Greats and The Great Debate: President William J. Clinton’s Use of Presidential Exemplars,” Presidential Studies Quarterly (2007)
“Revisiting the Character of Congress: Scandals in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1966-2002,” Journal of Political Marketing (2006)
Selected Chapters in Edited Volumes:
“The Presidency and the Nominating Process: Aspirants, Parties and Selection,” in Michael A. Nelson, ed., The Presidency and the Political System (CQ Press, 10th, 11th, and 12th edition, 2018)
"Mistaking the Moment and Misperceiving the Opportunity: The Leadership Failings of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama," in Michael A. Genovese, ed., The Quest for Leadership: Thomas E. Cronin and His Influence on Presidency Studies and Political Science (Cambria Press, 2015)
“Spending More Time with My Family: Media Coverage and Forced Incumbent Departures from the House of Representatives,” (with G. J. Gulati) in Alison Dagnes and Mark Sachleben, eds., Scandal! A Scholarly Appraisal (Bloomsbury/Continuum, 2014)
Selected Blogs/Op-Eds:
Could 2024 End Up with Tim Scott versus Kamala Harris? May 25, 2023 (The Messenger)
The End of the GOP? -- February 4, 2021 (The Hill)
Biden's Political Opportunity, Begin at the Center and then Move Left -- November 17, 2020 (The Hill)
It's Men Not Women Driving Trump's Numbers Down -- October 20, 2020 (The Hill)
Will Pence Choose Partisanship Over Statesmanship In Counting the Electoral Ballots -- August 11, 2020 (The Hill)
The "Blue Wall" Is Reforming -- June 18, 2020 (The Hill)
Bernie Sanders's Super Tuesday Problem -- February 18, 2020 (The Hill)
Trump's Reelection Looks More Like a Long Shot, than a Slam Dunk -- January 23, 2020 (The Hill)
Democrats Should Stop Worrying About the Electoral College -- May 14, 2019 (The Hill)
The Know-Nothing President and the Demise of a Major Political Party -- July 5, 2018 (The Hill)
Outsiders Can't Fix Washington: They're the Ones Who Spent the Last Forty Years Wrecking It -- March 21, 2018 (The Washington Post)
Hillary, Please Don't Run: Not Only Would the Former Secretary of State Likely Lose, But She'd Get Unfairly Blamed for the Defeat -- December 4, 2014 (U.S. News & World Report)
