Why Presidents Fail: White House Decision Making from Eisenhower to Bush II

Presidents are surrounded by political strategists and White House counsel who presumably know enough to avoid making the same mistakes as their predecessors. Why, then, do the same kinds of presidential failures occur over and over again? Why Presidents Fail answers this question by examining presidential fiascos, quagmires, and risky business-the kind of failure that led President Kennedy to groan after the Bay of Pigs invasion, 'How could I have been so stupid?' In this book, Richard M. Pious looks at nine cases that have become defining events in presidencies from Dwight D. Eisenhower and the U-2 Flights to George W. Bush and Iraqi WMDs. He uses these cases to draw generalizations about presidential power, authority, rationality, and legitimacy. And he raises questions about the limits of presidential decision-making, many of which fly in the face of the conventional wisdom about the modern presidency.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction: Presidential Fiascoes Chapter 2 Chapter 1. Reputation: Eisenhower and the U-2 Flights Chapter 3 Chapter 2. Power Stakes: Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs Chapter 4 Chapter 3. Compellence: Johnson and the Vietnam Escalation Chapter 5 Chapter 4. Command: Ford and the Mayaguez Chapter 6 Chapter 5. Rhetoric: Carter and the Energy Crisis Chapter 7 Chapter 6. Prerogative: Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair Chapter 8 Chapter 7. Gamesmanship: Bush and the Budget Chapter 9 Chapter 8. Program Innovation: Clinton and Health Care Chapter 10 Chapter 9. Parallel Governance: Bush and Iraqi WMD Chapter 11 Chapter 10. Presidents Unbound: Crises of Authority and Legitimacy Chapter 12 Chapter 11. Risk and Resilience: Toward a White House Learning Curve

About the Author :
Richard M. Pious is Adolf S. and Effie E. Ochs Professor of American Studies in the political science department at Barnard College and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Review :
As Richard Pious traces the anatomy of presidential failures, he argues that, under conditions of high pressure and great uncertainty, presidents too often engage in “situational constitutionalism” and fail to distinguish between their personal stakes and the nation's best interests. His carefully reconstructed and detailed case studies do not present merely the conventional wisdom about some obvious presidential blunders, but include incisive analyses of the underlying dynamics of presidential failures that contain important lessons for future presidents and citizens alike. This well-written work, which includes extensive footnotes and resources for further study, is recommended for academic libraries. His particular lens of anaylsis deepens our understanding of how presidents come to make failed policy choices. Pious has researched each case in great detail, yielding much information that may be new to readers, and provides a thorough bibliography. Appropriate for high school and college study, this will also have great appeal for devotees of poli-sci and presidential history. Why Presidents Fail will engage students and educate us all. Filled with wisdom and innovative thinking, it is a volume everyone interested in the presidency will want to read. Government executives, for their part, should be required to study this book closely and incorporate the lessons of executive failure. Highly recommended.