How Trump Governs: An Assessment and a Prognosis, the latest book by renowned presidential studies scholar Michael A. Genovese is now available.
Chris Edelson (Director, Politics, Policy, and Law Scholars Program (PPL), American University; and Fellow, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies) has noted the following about the book:
Chris Edelson, Director, Politics, Policy, and Law Scholars Program (PPL), American University; and Fellow, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies notes:
“In How Trump Governs, Michael Genovese takes us along for the wild and dangerous ride of Donald Trump’s path to the White House and the early days of his presidency. Genovese offers thoroughly detailed discussion and analysis of the election, transition, and first months in office, explaining how Trump’s character and management style were made clear during the campaign and have, not surprisingly, carried over into his presidency. Genovese explains the unique dangers Trump presents, though this is not a partisan account but rather a thoughtful effort to understand what gave rise to Trump and where things could go from here, including the questions of whether Trump can effectively govern and indeed whether Trump’s presidency can survive the Russia story that seems to grow larger day by day.”
Excerpt from the book:
Governing is hard in the best of circumstances, but in our age of hyperpartisanship, and with limited opportunities, the new president may have but a short time to prove his effectiveness. Given that trust in government has been steadily dropping since the 1970s, (there was a bump up in trust following 9/11; however, it did not last long), the ability of a president to lead amid low levels of trust is markedly limited. In the early 1960s, roughly 75% Americans said they had a fairly high level of trust in government. By 2016, that number hovered in the 20% mark. How can anyone govern when trust in government is so low?
In trying to assess Donald Trump as a president, we have to put Trump’s presidency into context (his level of political opportunity) and measure how he governs by looking at a series of key early tests:
- Campaign Management
- The Selection and Organization of his Governing Team
- The Transition
- His Inaugural Address
- The First 100 Days
From these measures, we can make a preliminary assessment of Trump as he assumes power (did he hit the ground running or stumbling?), determine Trump’s opportunity to lead, as well as make a long-range prediction of the type of president Trump will be.
About the author: Michael A. Genovese is Professor of Political Science, President of World Policy Institute, and the Loyola Chair of Leadership Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He is the author of numerous highly acclaimed books, including The Encyclopedia of the American Presidency, The Power of the American Presidency 1789-2000, The Paradoxes of the American Presidency, and The Trumping of American Politics; coeditor of Corruption and American Politics; and editor of The Quest for Leadership. In addition to many accolades for his scholarship, Dr. Genovese was awarded the prestigious American Political Science Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award for 2017.
How Trump Governs is now available for purchase.