Author Meets Critics: "False Front: The Failed Promise of Presidential Power in a Polarized Age"

Session Submission Type: Author meet critics

Session Description

Border walls, bathrooms in schools, student loans, gun control, diversity, abortion, climate change - today, nothing seems out of reach for the president's pen. But after all the press releases, ceremonies, and speeches, shockingly little gets done. The American presidency promises to solve America's problems, but presidents' unilateral solutions are often weak or empty.

In a new book, "False Front: The Failed Promise of Presidential Power in a Polarized Age," Kenneth Lowande argues this is no accident. Though we are accustomed to seeing presidents as policymakers who pursue effective government, they are also politicians attuned to the need to credit claim. The U.S. political system is not set up to allow presidents to solve major policy problems, yet there is no other elected official better positioned to attract attention by appearing to govern. Presidents are strategic actors who seek symbolic wins. They pursue executive actions, even when they know that these will fail, because doing so allows them to put on a compelling show for key constituencies. But these empty presidential actions are not costless: they divert energy from effective government - and, over time, undermine public trust.

In this roundtable, panelists will engage in a critical conversation about the book, and discuss next steps for the study of the presidency and its place in American democracy.

Sub Unit

• Division 23: Presidents and Executive Politics

Chair

• Frances E. Lee Princeton University

Presenters

• Larry M. Bartels Vanderbilt University

• Daniel P. Carpenter Harvard University

• Brandice Canes-Wrone Stanford University

• Craig Volden University of Virginia

• Kenneth Lowande University of Michigan