Factors Affecting Presidential Leadership - Essay Example

Factors Affecting Presidential Leadership Presidential leadership is an issue which has been of much importance in the United States since it became a nation. This is because while some individuals have advocated for a presidency whose role is to fulfill the will of Congress, others have sought to bring about a more assertive presidency where the actions of a president come about as a result of his own initiative. Despite these differing points of view, over time, the power of the president has grown immensely (Patterson 344); being affected by varying factors. Among the factors that affect presidential leadership are the president’s capacity for leadership, conditions occurring nationally and internationally, the stage of their presidency, the composition of Congress, and whether issues taking place are either domestic or foreign. Presidential leadership can be affected by the personal capacity of the individual for leadership (Patterson 338). This is especially the case where the nation is facing a crisis and it needs the leadership of the president to see it through. The personal leadership capacity of a president often proves to be a decisive factor in the exercise of executive power because it determines whether or not his leadership is a success. The current expectation of presidential leadership in the United State is for the president to be very assertive in his actions because it can be considered to be a show of strength. This was especially the case where after the 9/11 attacks, President George Bush took the decisive action to launch the war on terror and go after al Qaeda by invading Afghanistan (Patterson 342). Therefore, the exercise of presidential power can be considered to rely heavily on the president’s personal leadership as well as how he conducts himself in diverse situations that arise. National and international conditions have a significant effect on presidential leadership (Patterson 361). This is especially the case considering that the United States has become the most powerful country in the world and that it has to show leadership in order to not only serve its own national interests, but also those of its allies. In times of crises, both national and international, the president of the United States is often expected to display leadership and to chart the way towards finding a solution. One of the most significant events to have taken place recently was the global financial crisis which occurred during the Bush presidency in 2008. The way that President Bush handled the situation through the provision of bailout packages helped to save the economy from collapse. Furthermore, it proved to be an example to American allies, especially in Europe, which ended up taking similar steps to ensure economic stability. The stage of presidency is also an important factor affecting presidential leadership because it determines whether their leadership will be successful. In most cases, the early months of the presidency, often called the honeymoon stage, tends to be the easiest because it is a period where the newly elected president holds a lot of promise (Patterson 360). It is during this time that Congress tends to be bipartisan in its approach to the presidency; helping in the implementation of the president’s initial programs. However, subsequent years are not always so easy because public opinion changes over time and the president are put under more pressure to ensure that he delivers on the promises that he made during campaigns. The delivery of campaign promises is a difficult endeavor considering the political realities. Moreover, presidents have to create a balance in their policies to satisfy all major interests in the country; the partisan nature of Congress proving to be a barrier to their effective leadership. The partisan composition of Congress has become one of the determinant factors influencing presidential leadership. The composition of Congress is what determines whether the president can effectively exercise power so that in situations where a president’s party holds a majority of seats in Congress, his agenda can be more easily achieved with full congressional support (Patterson 362). However, in an opposite situation, it is extremely difficult for a president to achieve some of his policy goals as a result of the partisan way that Congress will conduct its activities. Under the Obama presidency, the partisan way that the Republican dominated Congress has conducted itself has ensured that some of President Obama’s policies, such as his attempts at healthcare reforms, have not achieved widespread support. The result has been a constant risk of government shut down brought about by the Republican protest in Congress over Obama’s healthcare reforms. Therefore, presidential leadership can be affected by a partisan Congress that is not willing to undertake bipartisan action for the purpose of upholding initiatives by the executive. Presidential leadership can be affected by whether an issue at hand is either domestic or foreign because these are often related to public opinion and support (Patterson 361). The United States has been an active participant on the global scene since the end of the Second World War and has attained political and economic leadership over the rest of the world. Therefore, American interests in the rest of the world can either have a positive or negative effect on the leadership of a president. One of the most significant events to take place in recent history was the collapse of the Soviet Union and the first Gulf War (Patterson 338). These events took place under the tenure of George H.W. Bush who oversaw some of the greatest American foreign policy successes of the later twentieth century. However, these successes came about at the expense of the development of a comprehensive domestic policy leading to President Bush, despite his popularity, not being reelected for a second term; showing that both domestic and foreign issues can affect leadership. The most important factor that determines presidential leadership is that of domestic and foreign issues because these are related with public support. A president can achieve a level of success in his policies and leadership through having an influence on public opinion because a positive public opinion ensures that even without the support of Congress; he can be able to implement his policies with public approval. In the United States, the success or failure of presidential leadership is based on the level of public support that a president enjoys in both domestic and foreign policy. However, with the failures of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (Patterson 337), Americans have in recent years become averse to foreign adventures and instead, domestic policies have become the main determinant of approval of presidential leadership. Therefore, a president that is able to create a balance between strong domestic and foreign policies that secure American interests is most likely to gain public approval and ensure that his leadership is a success. In conclusion, the discussion above has made an analysis of the factors that affect presidential leadership which include: the president’s capacity for leadership, conditions occurring nationally and internationally, the stage of their presidency, the composition of Congress, and whether issues taking place are either domestic or foreign. The discussion has shown that these factors are extremely important because they work hand in hand in determining presidential success. However, the most important of these factors is the attainment of public approval as a result of effective domestic and foreign policies which can help a president ensure that he is not only secure in his position, but also increases the efficiency of his government. Finally, an efficient domestic policy has gained more importance as a factor of presidential leadership because Americans have over the last decade sought to withdraw from the world as a result of the debacles that were the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Work Cited Patterson, Thomas E. We the People. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print. Read More