Presidential Power And The Modern Presidents, By Richard E. Neustadt

Richard E. Neustadt’s book Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents remains the seminal work on American presidential leadership. Through the original publishing in 1960 as well as the 1990 update, Neustadt laid out his case for the building blocks of presidential power. At the core of his writings, Neustadt argues that presidents’ primary power is their ability to persuade others, rather than to command them. Of particular importance to any Administration seeking to maintain is persuasion abilities is the professional reputation of the President. In regards to the Trump Administration, three central concepts laid out in Neustadt’s writings serve as the basis for a model against which Neustadt would evaluate President Trump’s professional reputation and its impact on his bargaining ability. These are political actors’ confidence in the President’s ability
According to Neustadt, a president’s professional reputation rests in the expectations of political players. These players include politicians, military officers, heads of industry, foreign officials, and members of the media. Neustadt refers to these political actors collectively as the Washington Community. Influencing this Community is a key aspect of the President’s job. The Community’s perceptions of a president’s likely response to their actions guides which course they take. As such “what other men expect of [the President] becomes a cardinal factor in the President’s own power to persuade.” Consistency and communication are key to maintaining a professional reputation. Neustadt argues that political actors are constantly attempting to anticipate the abilities and will of the president to use said abilities. A president cannot assert influence on an actor that believes them weak or without bargaining ability as the actor does not view the president as likely to assert strong power or able to deliver on bargain