Writing assignment - Research Paper Example

What does Neustadt regard as the primary ingredients of presidential power and based on these ingredients can President Barrack Obama be described as a powerful president? Neustadt notes that the power of the president as defined by the constitution does not guarantee that other elements of the government will aid him in achieving his goals. He notes that the president should be able to influence people around him with presidential persuasion in order to realize his political agenda. According to Neustadt, there are three main ingredients of presidential power that has enabled all influential presidents to attain their political goals.

These ingredients include: persuasion, reputation and public prestige. According to Neustadt, the power of persuasion is the most ingredient of presidential power. Due to the diverse nature of the country’s power, the president is not able to simply command in order to achieve his goals. Different levels of governments have different motivations and sources of power. Due to this, the president needs to be able to convince others that his goals are what are in their best interest. In politics, it is always common to note that even though the president desires an action to be committed does not mean that it will be done.

He has to be able to coheres, negotiate and persuade people to act. The second important ingredient is professional reputation within the country and abroad. Presidential reputation is important as it determines how policy makers and other members in Washington view him. This reputation can be noticed by how the infrastructure of the government relies on him to carry out his duties. If a president has a good reputation, it is easy to smooth out negotiations to implement important policies. The final important ingredient is public prestige.

Prestige generally denotes how the president is viewed by the public. Although the public is not directly involved in policy making, it is their view of the president that determines how various policies move throughout various levels of the government. The public’s confidence in the president affects how he is viewed by organizations and how these organizations accept his policies. Apart from these main ingredients, Neustadt also notes that a president should be able to think progressively.

This will make sure that he decision he makes at a particular point in time will help him I the future. Applying these ingredients to President Obama, it can be noted that he is indeed a powerful president. The president has been able to pass several important policies and legistlation despite constant opposition from congressional Democrats and Republicans. He has been able to persuade these policies maker not only to end the war in Iraq but also pass several important legislations such as the Health care ill.

Although the president is only in his first term, his professional reputation within the country and overseas is impressive. Obama has an impressive ability to sway policy makers and his communication skills are above par. He is able to make many people agree with his strategies and he has the ability to use logic and rationality in crafting his solutions. This has gained him respect not only from Americans but also from foreigners.Finally, most of the American public holds Obama in high regards.

His public prestige was crafted during the presidential campaigns and has been nurtured by his term in government. His approach to various social issues such as the war in Iraq and the American economy has gained him respect and support from the American population. He has been able to pass several bills mainly due to this support and the confidence the American people have on his problem solving skills.