Date of Award
Spring 2020
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Political Science and International Affairs
Department Chair or Program Director
Kramer, Jack
First Advisor
Farnsworth, Stephen
Second Advisor
Cooperman, Rosalyn
Major or Concentration
Political Science
Abstract
What is the nature of presidential power? What are its limits, and what recognizable forms does it take? These were the questions the late Richard Neustadt attempted to answer in his seminal work Presidential Power and the Modern American Presidents. Neustadt’s prescience and the eloquence he brought to discussions of the presidency inform much of the contemporary literature on the subject. That said, his book was published at a decidedly different moment in American politics, necessitating a reevaluation of many of his core arguments. This paper explores the modern presidential-congressional dynamic, focusing on the development of the legislative presidency and how presidents attempt to push forward their legislative agenda. Neustadt’s insights will be applied to two recent case studies to shed light on the extent to which his model of presidential power is still applicable in the modern age.
Recommended Citation
Engel, Jeremy, "Presidential Power Reconsidered: A Contemporary Look at Neustadtian Bargaining" (2020). Student Research Submissions. 312.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/312