From his election in November 1860 to his death in April 1865, Abraham Lincoln faced constant danger from those hostile to him and to the Union cause. Lincoln's enemies made four overt attempts on his life, including a Confederate partisan effort to infect him with yellow fever by sending a contaminated valise of clothing to the White House. Because Lincoln's life ended with John Wilkes Booth's assassination plot, the president's protection has come under extreme scrutiny, with many considering it flawed, inadequate, or completely lacking. By providing the first thorough exploration of the security surrounding Lincoln, this intriguing study offers new insight into this long-running issue. Detailing the dangers, real and uncertain, facing Lincoln and the unprecedented measures taken to protect his life and health, this work presents a fresh perspective on the presidency of the Great Emancipator.

This book evaluates the life and empire of the pivotal yet controversial Byzantine emperor Heraclius (ad. 610-641), a contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad. His stormy war-torn reign is critical for understanding the background to fundamental changes in the Balkans and the Middle East, including the emergence of Islam. Heraclius' skills enabled him to capture and recapture important territory, including Jerusalem, Syria and Egypt. Yet, they proved to be of little value when he confronted early Islamic conquests.

From the moment Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour leader, Corbynism has been dismissed, derided or romanticised, but rarely taken seriously as a set of ideas on its own terms. This book critically outlines the shared understanding of capitalism and its alternatives that unites the component parts of the Corbyn movement. It decodes the central tenets of the Corbynist worldview, showing their coherence with contemporary political-economic shifts and conspiratorial understandings of global capitalism as a 'rigged system' common to populist nativism in an age of Trump and Brexit.

Every new president raises many questions. Because Barack Obama is a relative newcomer to the national political scene, he possibly raises more than most. Will he be a pragmatic centrist or will his politics of hope ultimately flounder on the rocky shoals of America's deep political divisions? What of his leadership style? How will the uncommonly calm character demonstrated on the campaign trail take shape in Obama's political style as commander-in-chief? Obama takes office with extraordinarily high expectations and a palpable hunger in the American psyche for a new national direction. Inflated expectations, however, are often a recipe for disappointment. Based on extensive biographical, psychological, and political research and analysis, noted political psychologist Stanley Renshon follows Obama's presidency through the first year. He digs into the question of who is the real Obama and assesses the advantages and limitations that he brings to the presidency. These questions cannot be answered without recourse to psychological analysis. And they cannot be answered without psychological knowledge of presidential leadership and the presidency itself. Renshon explains that Obama's ambition has an undercurrent in its developmental history of the fear of failure that has enormous consequences for his choices as president of an America that remains politically divided.

Every new president raises many questions. Because Barack Obama is a relative newcomer to the national political scene, he possibly raises more than most. Will he be a pragmatic centrist or will his politics of hope ultimately flounder on the rocky shoals of America's deep political divisions? What of his leadership style? How will the uncommonly calm character demonstrated on the campaign trail take shape in Obama's political style as commander-in-chief? Obama takes office with extraordinarily high expectations and a palpable hunger in the American psyche for a new national direction. Inflated expectations, however, are often a recipe for disappointment. Based on extensive biographical, psychological, and political research and analysis, noted political psychologist Stanley Renshon follows Obama's presidency through the first year. He digs into the question of who is the real Obama and assesses the advantages and limitations that he brings to the presidency. These questions cannot be answered without recourse to psychological analysis. And they cannot be answered without psychological knowledge of presidential leadership and the presidency itself. Renshon explains that Obama's ambition has an undercurrent in its developmental history of the fear of failure that has enormous consequences for his choices as president of an America that remains politically divided.

Fifteen eminent social scientists from North America and Eastern Europe met under the auspices of Northwestern University's Comparative Politics Program to discuss the significance and characteristics of changes in political leadership in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union since World War II. The presentations at the conference were edited and re-written following the discussion. They are incorporated into this comprehensive analysis of political leadership in European communist countries since World War II.

This volume is divided up into four parts and fourteen different chapters. Part One examines the theoretical questions of leadership in European socialist countries. Part Two provides a factual perspective, including contemporary quantitative data and biographical analysis. Part Three discusses the interaction of the leadership and society. Jan Triska's concluding overview relates specific chapters to the informal discussions at the conference.

Some of the notable contributions include "Historical Development of the Communist Theory of Leadership," Alfred G. Meyer; "The Theory of Political Leadership and the Issue of Totalitarianism," Carl J. Friedrich; "Marxist Theories of Leadership and Bureaucracy," Andras Hegedus; "Trends in Top Political Leadership in USSR," Frederick C. Barghoorn; "Representation of Career Types in Soviet Political Leadership," Frederic Fleron; "The Soviet Appartchiki," Michael P. Gehlen. Leadership in East European Communism, 1945-1970 is essential reading for students of comparative politics and the politics of East European socialist countries and the Soviet Union.

This book maps the genesis and development of Gandhi's idea of non-violence. It traces the evolution of the message of peace from its first expressions in South Africa to Gandhi's later campaigns against British rule in India, most prominently the Salt March campaign of 1930. It argues that Gandhi's blueprint for change must be adopted in the present, as the world craters on the precipice of catastrophic climate change, and the threat of nuclear war hangs over our heads. A timely book for uncertain times, this work is a reminder of the value of peace in the 21st century. It will be of great interest to readers, scholars and researchers of peace and conflict studies, politics, philosophy, history and South Asian studies.

*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* A GUARDIAN AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'An astonishing book' James O'Brien 'A gripping, devastating read' Sunday Times The inside story of the UK's response to the pandemic from the Insight investigations unit at The Sunday Times Failures of State recounts the extraordinary political decisions taken at the heart of Boris Johnson's government during the global pandemic. Fully updated and corroborated by hundreds of sources, this is the insider's account of how the government sleepwalked into disaster and tried to cover up its role in the tragedy. Thrillingly told, it exposes one of the most scandalous failures of political leadership in British history. 'A damning indictment' Alan Johnson, Observer 'A devastating piece of journalism' Andrew Marr 'This is a scandal' Piers Morgan

The leader's portrait, produced in a variety of media (statues, coins, billboards, posters, stamps), is a key instrument of propaganda in totalitarian regimes, but increasingly also dominates political communication in democratic countries as a result of the personalization and spectacularization of campaigning. Written by an international group of contributors, this volume focuses on the last one hundred years, covering a wide range of countries around the globe, and dealing with dictatorial regimes and democratic systems alike. As well as discussing the effigies that are produced by the powers that be for propaganda purposes, it looks at the uses of portraiture by antagonistic groups or movements as forms of resistance, derision, denunciation and demonization. This volume will be of interest to researchers in visual studies, art history, media studies, cultural studies, politics and contemporary history.

This book offers the first scholarly assessment of President Obama and his first two years in office. Hundreds of journalistic articles and several books have appeared, but this is the first based on the original scholarship of well-established political scientists, practitioners, and journalists who have studied American political institutions and domestic and international public policy. All come together here to offer a fresh perspective on President Obama and his relationship with Congress, interest groups, and a wide variety of policy making communities. Because so much has happened to test the administration during this period, this book is not only timely but rich with new insights into the continuing great recession and its jobless recovery, TARP spending, efforts to save the automobile industry, stimulus legislation, historic health care reform along with reform in other key areas including financial regulation, education, taxation, immigration policy, climate change legislation, a historic deficit, the BP oil leak in the Gulf, and the continuation of two wars. Extreme partisanship, deadlock, and anticipation of Republican midterm electoral success have made policy making difficult despite a Democratic majority in Congress. Looking beyond the midterms, these authors consider the results of 2010, the impact of the Tea Party, and the prospects for 2012. Obama entered office in the midst of the perfect storm; will he exit at the hands of a populist tsunami or return for four more years as the teapot tempest subsides? Check out James Thurber talking about "Obama in Office"

Kim Jong Il came to power after the death of his father Kim Il Sung in 1994. Contrary to expectations, he has succeeded in maintaining enough political stability to remain in power. Kim Jong Il's Leadership of North Korea is an examination of how political power has been developed, transmitted from father to son, and now operates in North Korea Using a variety of original North Korean sources as well as South Korean materials Jae-Cheon Lim pieces together the ostensibly contradictory and inconsistent facts into a conceptual coherent framework. This book considers Kim and his leadership through an analytical framework. composed of four main elements: i) Kim as a leader of a totalitarian society; ii) as a politician; iii) as a Korean; and iv) as an individual person. This illuminating account of what constitutes power and how it is used makes an important contribution to the understanding of an opaque and difficult regime. It will be of interest for upper level undergraduate, postgraduates and academics interested in North Korean politics, and also those in Political theory.

How Trump has used the federal government to promote conservative policies The presidency of Donald Trump has been unique in many respects most obviously his flamboyant personal style and disregard for conventional niceties and factual information. But one area hasn't received as much attention as it deserves: Trump's use of the "administrative presidency," including executive orders and regulatory changes, to reverse the policies of his predecessor and advance positions that lack widespread support in Congress. This book analyzes the dynamics and unique qualities of Trump's administrative presidency in the important policy areas of health care, education, and climate change. In each of these spheres, the arrival of the Trump administration represented a hostile takeover in which White House policy goals departed sharply from the more "liberal" ideologies and objectives of key agencies, which had been embraced by the Obama administration. Three expert authors show how Trump has continued, and even expanded, the rise of executive branch power since the Reagan years. The authors intertwine this focus with an in-depth examination of how the Trump administration's hostile takeover has drastically changed key federal policies and reshaped who gets what from government in the areas of health care, education, and climate change. Readers interested in the institutions of American democracy and the nation's progress (or lack thereof) in dealing with pressing policy problems will find deep insights in this book. Of particular interest is the book's examination of how the Trump administration's actions have long-term implications for American democracy.

Popular interest in Cromwell has often exceeded the originality of what has been written about him. Barclay's study comes out of meticulous research on a huge range of newly discovered primary sources, transforming our understanding of the life and career of Oliver Cromwell during the period from his birth in 1599 until 1642.

Ozawa Ichir? is one of the most important figures in Japanese politics, having held the positions of Chief Secretary of the Liberal Democrat Party and, after defection from the LDP, President of the Democratic Party of Japan. Ozawa has distinctive ideas that set him apart from the average Japanese politician, he believes in the concept of the independence of the individual, as opposed to the importance of the group, and as a policy entrepreneur he has had a huge impact on political change not only advocating but precipitating institutional change in a key political area ? the election system.

Using extensive interview data from key players in the political arena, this book examines Ozawa's struggle to normalize alternation in office between two competing
political parties ? particularly significant given the results of the 2009 election which handed over power to the Democratic Party of Japan ? and how he has used his entrepreneurial talents to precipitate and carry out institutional change.

Not only a political biography, but also an in-depth analysis of the Japanese political and electoral systems, this book will be of huge interest to anyone interested in Japanese politics and electoral systems.

This book offers the first scholarly assessment of President Obama and his first two years in office. Hundreds of journalistic articles and several books have appeared, but this is the first based on the original scholarship of well-established political scientists, practitioners, and journalists who have studied American political institutions and domestic and international public policy. All come together here to offer a fresh perspective on President Obama and his relationship with Congress, interest groups, and a wide variety of policy making communities. Because so much has happened to test the administration during this period, this book is not only timely but rich with new insights into the continuing great recession and its jobless recovery, TARP spending, efforts to save the automobile industry, stimulus legislation, historic health care reform along with reform in other key areas including financial regulation, education, taxation, immigration policy, climate change legislation, a historic deficit, the BP oil leak in the Gulf, and the continuation of two wars. Extreme partisanship, deadlock, and anticipation of Republican midterm electoral success have made policy making difficult despite a Democratic majority in Congress. Looking beyond the midterms, these authors consider the results of 2010, the impact of the Tea Party, and the prospects for 2012. Obama entered office in the midst of the perfect storm; will he exit at the hands of a populist tsunami or return for four more years as the teapot tempest subsides? Check out James Thurber talking about "Obama in Office"

In his major New York Times bestseller, Jimmy Carter looks back from ninety years of age and "reveals private thoughts and recollections over a fascinating career as businessman, politician, evangelist, and humanitarian" (Booklist). At ninety, Jimmy Carter reflects on his public and private life with a frankness that is disarming. He adds detail and emotion about his youth in rural Georgia that he described in his magnificent An Hour Before Daylight. He writes about racism and the isolation of the Carters. He describes the brutality of the hazing regimen at Annapolis, and how he nearly lost his life twice serving on submarines and his amazing interview with Admiral Rickover. He describes the profound influence his mother had on him, and how he admired his father even though he didn't emulate him. He admits that he decided to quit the Navy and later enter politics without consulting his wife, Rosalynn, and how appalled he is in retrospect. In his "warm and detailed memoir" (Los Angeles Times), Carter tells what he is proud of and what he might do differently. He discusses his regret at losing his re-election, but how he and Rosalynn pushed on and made a new life and second and third rewarding careers. He is frank about the presidents who have succeeded him, world leaders, and his passions for the causes he cares most about, particularly the condition of women and the deprived people of the developing world. "Always warm and human...even inspirational" (Buffalo News), A Full Life is a wise and moving look back from this remarkable man. Jimmy Carter has lived one of our great American lives-from rural obscurity to world fame, universal respect, and contentment. A Full Life is an extraordinary read from a "force to be reckoned with" (Christian Science Monitor).

From the acclaimed author of 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents and 1960: LJB vs JFK vs Nixon-The Epic Campaign that Forged Three Presidencies comes a dazzling panorama of presidential and political personalities, ambitions, plots, and counterplots; racism, anti-Semitism, anti-socialism, and anti-communism, and the landslide referendum on FDR's New Deal policies in the 1936 presidential election. Award-winning historian David Pietrusza boldly steers clear of the pat narrative regarding Franklin Roosevelt's unprecedented 1936 re-election landslide, weaving an enormously more intricate, ever more surprising tale of a polarized nation; of America's most complex, calculating, and politically successful president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, at the very top of his Machiavellian game; and the unlocking of the puzzle of how our society, our politics, and our parties fitfully reinvented themselves. With in-depth examinations of rabble-rousing Democratic US Senator Huey Long and his assassination before he was able to challenge FDR in '36; powerful, but widely hated, newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, who blasted FDR's "Raw Deal"; wildly popular, radical radio commentator Father Coughlin; the steamrolled passage of Social Security and backlash against it; the era's racism and anti-Semitism; American Socialism and Communism; and a Supreme Court seemingly bent on dismantling the New Deal altogether, Roosevelt Sweeps Nation is a vivid portrait of a dynamic Depression-Era America. Crafting his account from an impressive and unprecedented collection of primary and secondary sources, Pietrusza has produced an engrossing, original, and authoritative account of an election, a president, and a nation at the crossroads. The nation's stakes were high . . . and the parallels hauntingly akin to today's dangerously strife-ridden political and culture wars.

This is the first academic study of the impact of semi-presidentialism in emerging democracies outside of Europe.

Semi-presidentialism is where there is both a directly-elected fixed-term president and a prime minister who is responsible to the legislature. For the most part, semi-presidentialism is seen as being a risky choice for new democracies because it can create potentially destabilizing competition between the president and prime minister. And yet, there are now more than fifty semi-presidential countries in the world. Moreover, many of these countries are in Africa, the former Soviet Union and Asia, often in places where democracy has yet to establish a firm foundation.

This study begins with a chapter that discusses the advantages and disadvantages of semi-presidentialism and provides the theoretical framework for a wide-ranging series of country chapters presented in the second part of the book. Written by country/area specialists, the case studies highlight the political processes at work in young semi-presidential democracies.

Semi-Presidentialism Outside Europe will appeal to those researching and studying in the fields of comparative politics, development and democracy.

John F. Kennedy began his political communication in the neighborhoods of the Eleventh Congressional District of Massachusetts, using informal more than formal speaking as he learned to speak and began his career as a political leader. For 18 years he practiced the art of communication that is so intrinsic to the art of politics--speeches, small group deliberation, stump speaking in campaigns, radio and television press conferences, debates, and interviews.

Silvestri describes the political and social contexts that shaped Kennedy's earliest efforts as a communicator and politician until his death in 1963. His first campaign became the blueprint for his future political contests; his warnings as Congressman and Senator about Vietnam and Algeria proved prophetic. Kennedy's greatest communication tests involved his persuasion of the public that a Roman Catholic had the right to run for President, his memorable Inaugural Address to a world deadlocked in nuclear stockpiling, his deliberation in the Cuban Missile crisis, his eloquent reasoning for peaceful measures and conciliatory attitudes through his address at American University, his advocacy of civil rights, and his televised presidency--historical firsts for a charismatic American leader of the nuclear half of the 20th century. Scholars, students, and other researchers as well as lay readers will find this study of JKF, political communication, and recent American history fascinating and instructive.

Gender, Heteronormativity and the American Presidency places notions of gender at the center of its analysis of presidential campaign communications. Over the decades, an investment in gendered representations of would-be leaders has changed little, in spite of the second- and third-wave feminist movements. Modern candidates have worked vigorously to demonstrate "compensatory heterosexuality," an unquestionable normative identity that seeks to overcome challenges to their masculinity or femininity. The book draws from a wide range of archived media material, including televised films and advertisements, public debates and speeches, and candidate autobiographies. From the domestic ideals promoted by Eisenhower in the 1950s, right through to the explicit and divisive rhetoric associated with the Clinton/Trump race in 2016; intersectional content and discourse analysis reveals how each presidential candidate used his or her campaign to position themselves as a defender of traditional gender roles, and furthermore, how this investment in "appropriate" gender behaviour was made manifest in both international and domestic policy choices. This book represents a significant and timely contribution to the study of political communication. While communication during presidential elections is a well-established research field, Aidan Smith's book is the first to apply a gendered lens over such an extended historical period and across the political spectrum.

From Balewa's declaration, 'Today is Independence Day, ' to Azikiwe's impassioned plea, 'Let us bind the nation's wound and let us heal the breaches of the past so that in forging our nation there shall emerge on this continent a hate-free, fear-free, and greed-free people, ' to Buhari's patriotic fervor, 'This generation of Nigerians]... have no other country than Nigeria, ' to Obasanjo's confident commitment, 'I will not spare any effort in rising to this challenge of building firmly and decisively on our achievements, ' and to Yar'Adua's clarion call, 'Let us set aside cynicism... Let us discard the habits of low expectations... Let us join together now, ' words by Nigerian leaders invoke common threads that are essential for nationbuilding. In a democracy, words initiate a relationship between leaders and citizens, a relationship deepened by sacred trusts not easily broken. This collection of inaugural and ascension speeches facilitates comparison of presidential themes, leadership styles, personal philosophies, and evolutionary communication strategies in Nigerian nationbuilding. Each chapter opens with biographical notes on the speaker, followed by an introduction to the prevalent political climate, and ends with the leader's unabridged sp

Based on deep consultation of seldom-examined primary sources, this third volume in Richard Lawrence Miller’s massive Lincoln biography follows Lincoln’s long effort to win a seat in Congress, his activity there, and his return to Illinois—chastened by his Washington experience. Topics include: Lincoln’s anti-slavery efforts in Congress; the popularity of his stance against the Mexican War (which, contrary to common belief, didn’t significantly harm his political reputation); his support of Zachary Taylor’s presidential campaign and his subsequent efforts to win a patronage job from the Taylor White House; his political activities after returning to Illinois; and his generally happy home life with Mary and his sons. Throughout the work, a new portrait emerges of Lincoln as a canny politician, making his own luck by striking swiftly and strongly when opportunities arose.

Brennan's book surveys the history of the Roman praetorship, which was one of the most enduring Roman political institutions, occupying the practical center of Roman Republican administrative life for over three centuries. The study addresses political, social, military and legal history, as well as Roman religion. Volume I begins with a survey of Roman (and modern) views on the development of legitimate power--from the kings, through the early chief magistrates, and down through the creation and early years of the praetorship. Volume II discusses how the introduction in 122 of C. Gracchus' provincia repetundarum pushed the old city-state system to its functional limits.

Presenting an account of mental illness in British prime ministers from Sir Robert Walpole, generally regarded as the first to hold the position, to Tony Blair, this book reveals how depression, anxiety, dementia, and alcohol or drug use disorders have impacted British leaders over three centuries. It begins with an introduction explaining the principles of diagnosis, the methods used to assess subjects and the assignment of confidence levels in each diagnosis, and the overall significance of mental disorder in political leaders. Individual assessments then follow for each of Britain's 51 prime ministers, revealing how evidence for psychiatric problems was found in over 70% of cases and how the prevalence of mental disorders remained relatively constant throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

The study of the American presidency, both as a political institution and the men who have held the office, is one of the most fascinating and dynamic fields of study within American government. New Directions in the American Presidency takes a current look at the various issues facing the presidency and provides a "state of the art" overview of current trends in the field of presidency research.

This edited volume will cover all of the standard topics necessary for use in an undergraduate-level presidency course or a graduate-level seminar while also bringing together key disciplinary debates and treatment of important current real-world developments. Each chapter will be written with students in mind so that it remains accessible, interesting, and engaging and does not inundate readers with pedantic or jargonistic terms. This will undoubtedly become a key resource to engage students in the exciting debates over scholarship on presidential politics.