Understanding the Presidency

Paper Summary:

This paper details political time, secular time and the modern presidency theory in attempts to understand power and authority in executive leadership. The paper shows that a combination of the political time and secular time models is the best means to measure presidential leadership and provides a nuanced understanding of executive power structures. It explains that this method focuses on political relationships and cycles of political change in American history, utilizing contrast and comparison of smaller groupings to underline political achievement.

From the Paper:

"The President of the United States of America is a position rendering vast and enduring debate regarding the leadership structure of the office and the service capabilities of the person who inhabits the office. The mission of this individual is to faithfully execute and uphold the laws defined by the Constitution and Congress, yet interpretation of this undertaking yields varying leadership in providing for the continuance of the executive office. A constant theme in all presidencies to date is the mandate of power and authority each president utilizes in office. Power is an automatic function the executive receives upon entering office. The resources available to the president, and the formal and informal actions the president undertakes define power. Authority is based in how this power is applied; the warrant president's create to use power. The challenge in this executive authority can be changed by agenda and time period, and is the underlying current in presidential leadership. Scholars use different models to understand this premise, including political time, secular time, and the modern presidency theory. Comprehension of each of these models is the best analysis in understanding presidential leadership."

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