First published 2020
The American presidency has grown into an unmanageable monster. John Dickerson argues that the office now demands impossible feats from whoever occupies it. Presidents must serve as commander in chief, chief executive, chief diplomat, chief legislator, party leader, voice of the people, first responder, chief priest, and world leader all at once. They face pressure to deliver on campaign promises while managing unexpected crises. Dickerson traces how this burden evolved through presidents from Washington and Lincoln to FDR, Eisenhower, LBJ, Reagan, Bush, Obama, and Trump. He draws on historical research and White House insider interviews to reveal what the job actually requires. The book examines which qualities make effective presidents and why some succeeded while others failed. Bill Clinton called the White House "the crown jewel in the American penal system" for good reason. Dickerson contends that Americans expect their president to succeed, but the office is structured for failure. He calls for realistic expectations about presidential limits and better criteria for choosing candidates.
Genres: history, american, political-science, presidents, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: informed-consent, world-leader
Setting: White House
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
656 pages · Hardcover · Random House