Transforming America

Barack Obama in the White House

By (author) Steven E. Schier Contributions by John J. Coleman, James L. Guth, John F. Harris, James Hohmann, Bertram Johnson, Richard E. Matland, Nancy Maveety, James M. McCormick, John J. Pitney Jr., Nicol C. Rae, Raymond Tatalovich, Andrea L. Walker, John K. White

Publication date:

29 August 2011

Length of book:

304 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442201798

The presidency of Barack Obama seeks major transformation of American politics and policy. This new collection, edited by Steven E. Schier, examines the unusual combination of risk and ambition in Obama's presidency concerning popular politics, Washington politics, and economic and foreign policy. It also places the Obama presidency in historical perspective, noting the unusual circumstances of his election and the similarities and differences between presidential politics today and those of previous eras. Transforming America: Barack Obama in the White House provides a guiding focus involving the successes and failures of the administration's transformative aspirations during Obama's initial years in the White House.

Contributions by John J. Coleman, James L. Guth, John F. Harris, James Hohmann, Bertram Johnson, Richard E. Matland, Nancy Maveety, James M. McCormick, John J. Pitney Jr, Nicol C. Rae, Steven E. Schier, Raymond Tatalovich, Andrea L. Walker, and John K. White.

Chapter 1 Introduction: Obama's "Big Bang" Presidency
Part 2 Historical and Electoral Perspectives
Chapter 3 From Reconstruction to Recession: The First Phase of the Obama Presidency in Historical Context
Chapter 4 Caught Between Hope and History: Obama, Public Opinion, and the 2010 Elections
Chapter 5 Parties as a Resource for Presidential Leadership: The Case of Barack Obama
Chapter 6 Obama, Religious Politics, and the Culture Wars
Part 7 Washington Governance
Chapter 8 Accomplishments and Miscalculations of the Obama Presidency
Chapter 9 Asymmetric Warfare: Supporters and Opponents of President Obama
Chapter 10 Small Ball in the Long Game: Barack Obama and Congress
Chapter 11 A Transformative Politics of Judicial Selection? President Obama and the Federal Judiciary
Part 12 Policy Legacies
Chapter 13 Obama and Social Policy: Acclamation or Alienation among Women, Minorities, and Gays?
Chapter 14 The Obama Administration and the Great Recession
Chapter 15 The Obama Presidency: A Foreign Policy of Change?
Chapter 16 Conclusion: How Transformative a Presidency?

This is a marvelous collection of first-rate essays by some of the top scholars in their fields. It clears away a great deal of the underbrush and helps us understand the core strengths and weaknesses of President Obama's efforts to be a transformative president amid enormous challenges.