Political Science 3300     
The American Presidency       October 20, 2008

Personality, Character, and Skill

3. Different Personalities

    "Active" versus "Passive" personalities

    "Negative" versus "Positive personalities

    Some other personality characteristics

    Assessing recent presidents

4. Differences in Character

    What is character?

    How do you know good character when you see it?

5. Different Skills

    Managerial Skills

    Political Skills

6. Different States of health

Presidents in Political Time

Presidential Leadership Disrupt Politics

Presidents come into office in different situations (remember Tichenor):

   Is the political order weak or strong?

    Are they affiliated with the existing order or opposed to it?

Presidents confront Four Types of Political Circumstances

    These recur over and over in American history

1. The Politics of Reconstruction:

    The existing political order is weak, and the president is from the other party

    (Lincoln, FD Roosevelt, Reagan)

2. The Politics of Affiliation

    The existing political order is strong, and the president is from the same party

    (Theodore Roosevelt, LB Johnson, George H.W. Bush)

3. The Politics of Disjunction

    The existing political order is weak, and the president is from the same party

    (JQ Adams, Buchanan, Hoover, Carter)

4. The Politics of Preemption

    The existing political order is strong, and the president is from the other party

    (Wilson, Nixon, Clinton)

5. Where is America in "political time" today?

    The case of George W. Bush