Power without Persuasion: The Politics of Direct Presidential Action

by William G. Howell

Since the early 1960s, scholarly thinking on the power of U.S. presidents has rested on these "Presidential power is the power to persuade." Power, in this formulation, is strictly about bargaining and convincing other political actors to do things the president cannot accomplish alone. Power without Persuasion argues otherwise. Focusing on presidents' ability to act unilaterally, William Howell provides the most theoretically substantial and far-reaching reevaluation of presidential power in many years. He argues that presidents regularly set public policies over vocal objections by Congress, interest groups, and the bureaucracy.


Throughout U.S. history, going back to the Louisiana Purchase and the Emancipation Proclamation, presidents have set landmark policies on their own. More recently, Roosevelt interned Japanese Americans during World War II, Kennedy established the Peace Corps, Johnson got affirmative action underway, Reagan greatly expanded the president's powers of regulatory review, and Clinton extended protections to millions of acres of public lands. Since September 11, Bush has created a new cabinet post and constructed a parallel judicial system to try suspected terrorists.


Howell not only presents numerous new empirical findings but goes well beyond the theoretical scope of previous studies. Drawing richly on game theory and the new institutionalism, he examines the political conditions under which presidents can change policy without congressional or judicial consent. Clearly written, Power without Persuasion asserts a compelling new formulation of presidential power, one whose implications will resound.

Genres: Political Science, Politics

264 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2003

Reviews

[goddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look into where presidential power comes from, whether good or bad. This book discusses a president's unilateral power and the use (and abuse) of executive orders and such, all so he can get what he wants done. Many executive orders are harmless (administrative type stuff), but some of them have dire consequences. Like FDR's executive order of the evacuation, relocation, and internment of over 110,000 Japanese Americans. Makes one ponder: Are we giving too much power to the Executive Branch? (Or perhaps we should say: Is the Executive Branch taking too much power?)

[Melissa]

This was assigned reading for class, and I probably would never have chosen this if it hadn't been assigned. Definitely not written in laymen's terms, an understanding of Krehbiel and Neustadt work is necessary to follow most of this.

[Micheal Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting read exploring whether unilateral abilities give presidents power beyond bargaining with Congress. If you take Krehbiel's pivot politics model, give president first mover advantage and add a judicial component, then you get this model. Simple, but intuitive.