The historical approach to the presidency
explores the development of the presidency and presidential powers
over time.
Most scholars concentrate on the development
of the relationship between the President and
the Congress.
This relationship may be viewed from the
perspective of a pendulum of power which moves back and
forth between a stronger presidency and a stronger Congress.
This view of the historical development
of the presidency reinforces
the power equation approach
by emphasizing that presidential power waxes and wanes
as president's try to take advantage of opportunities
to expand their power and when successful, presidential
power expands, and when unsuccessful, Congress pulls
the pendulum of power closer to it.
The historical view of the presidency
thus encourages us to ask the question, what type of president
can take advantage (or create) the opportunities to expand
their power And conversely, what types of presidents fail?
The Psychological Presidency
In the 1950s and 60s political science (indeed all of the social sciences) were influenced by the behavioral movement (Chicago school).
James David Barber was influenced by
McClelland and decided to bring this "psychological" approach to the study of the Presidency.
While many have criticized Barber, his book (The Presidential Character: Predicting Performance in the White House) is still considered a "classic" and generates many good discussions.
Personality
Personality:the relatively enduring qualities observed in the behavior of individuals which are believed to play a major role in determining that behavior (Allport)
According to McClelland, there are 3 psychological motives or
drives:
1) the need for achievement
2) the need for power
3) the need for affiliation
Presidential personality is patterned---character, style and
world view fit together in a package:
a) style---habitual way of performing
three political roles:
1) rhetoric
2) personal relations
3) homework
b) world view----primary politically
relevant beliefs, conceptions of social causality, human nature, and the central moral conflicts of the time
c) character---how he orients himself
toward life; self-esteem
Thus, personality interacts with the power situation and the climate
of expectations
The keys to understanding presidential character are:
1) how much energy the person put
into their work (active/ passive)
2) how much they enjoy their work
(positive/ negative)
From these to variables, a four-fold typology
is developed:
ACTIVE POSITIVE
(productive)
PASSIVE POSITIVE
(affection)
ACTIVE NEGATIVE
(personal ambition)
PASSIVE NEGATIVE
(perform duty)
Active-Positives:
much activity and enjoyment of it, flexible, high self-esteem,
success in relating to the environment
Passive-Positives:
receptive, compliant, and other directed characters
whose life is a search for "love" (being agreeable and
cooperative rather than assertive)
Passive-Negatives:
politics is seen as a duty--lack of experience and flexibility
to perform effectively as a political leader;
they withdraw to escape from conflict;
they emphasize vague principles
Active-Negatives:
relatively intense effort without much emotional reward for
it;
have problems in managing aggressive feelings---
life is a hard struggle to achieve and hold power;
they are hampered by the condemnations of a
perfectionist conscience
Active/ Positives:
F. D. Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Ford, Carter, Bush Clinton