Running Alone : Presidential Leadership from JFK to Bush II: Why It Has Failed and How We Can Fix It

James MacGregor Burns

ISBN 10: 046500833X / ISBN 13: 9780465008339

Published by Basic Books, 2007

About this Item

Neuware - Since mid-century, America has witnessed an ominous decline in presidential leadership, culminating in the failing presidency of George W. Bush today. How did this happen In Running Alone , the distinguished political scientist and leadership expert James MacGregor Burns finds the origin of the problem in John F. Kennedy's presidential style-and its influence on his successors in the Oval Office. Kennedy rejected collective leadership in favor of a highly personalized executive branch, run by a small group of hand-picked advisors. His successors followed his lead; each in his own way ran and governed alone, exploiting the party base while often ignoring party platforms and party needs. Burns charts the decline of genuine leadership in the Oval Office and offers practical proposals for restoring the kind of transforming leadership that this country so desperately needs. With unsurpassed knowledge of American history and politics, Burns shows us the way forward.

Seller Inventory # 9780465008339

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Running Alone : Presidential Leadership from JFK to Bush II: Why It Has Failed and How We Can Fix It
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 046500833X
• ISBN 13: 9780465008339
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 229W x 183H x 34D millimeters 229 millimeters width by 183 millimeters height by 34 millimeters depth
• Weight: 386 grams

About this title

Synopsis

A disastrous war in Iraq, prisoner abuse, secret wiretaps -- the presidency of George W. Bush represents a crisis in American democracy. How did this happen? In Running Alone the revered political scientist and commentator James MacGregor Burns sets the imperial presidency of George W. Bush in the context of half a century of presidential politics. In his 1960 campaign, John F. Kennedy turned his back on the Democratic Party. He relied instead on his personal charisma and his family's vast wealth to win office. Once elected, he governed much as he had run: alone. He ignored the Democratic platform and instead sought counsel from a small group of hand-picked advisors, including his own brother. Kennedy fundamentally reshaped the role of President, and each of his successors has built on this model. American presidents have become increasingly isolated from the parties that brought them to power. Democratic presidents -- Johnson, Carter, and Clinton -- did tremendous damage to the Democratic Party by abandoning its core principles. Republican presidents have managed to lead more effectively in isolation, but have imperiled the nation in the process. Drawing on his own personal letters, interviews, and recollections of America's presidents, Burns charts the decline of genuine leadership in the Oval Office and offers a stirring vision of what the presidency can and should be. America deserves better leaders, and with unsurpassed knowledge of American history and politics, Burns shows us the way forward.

About the Author

One of America's most astute political thinkers, James MacGregor Burns is Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government Emeritus at Williams College. He is the author of many books on American history and politics, including Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox and Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award), and Leadership, still considered the seminal work in the field of leadership studies. He lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts.