Suchergebnisse

PAPER EXAMINES THE QUESTION OF WHETHER PRESIDENTIAL LEGISLATIVE SKILLS ARE AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INFLUENCE IN CONGRESS. THE STRATEGY USED IN THE ANALYSIS CONSISTS OF COMPARING THE PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT OF SIMILAR GROUPS OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE ACROSS PRESIDENTS OF THE SAME PARTY. LEGISLATIVE SKILLS ARE NOT FOUND TO BE CONSISTENT WITH LEVELS OF SUPPORT. JOHNSON & CARTER ARE COMPARED.

THIS STUDY EXAMINES A VARIETY OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL PRESTIGE AND PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OVERALL NATIONAL PRESIDENTIAL POPULARITY AND OVERALL DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT IN THE HOUSE AS A WHOLE AND AMONG VARIOUS GROUPS OF CONGRESSPEOPLE ON THE OTHER ARE GENERALLY WEAK.

IN THIS ARTICLE THE AUTHOR EMPLOYS NEW MEASURES OF PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT THAT ALLOW US TO DISAGGREGATE THE SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR THE PRESIDENT IN CONGRESS. WHEN THIS IS DONE, IT BECOMES EVIDENT THAT ALL THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR A PRESIDENT'S DEFENSE AND FOREIGN POLICIES COMES FROM THE OPPOSITION PARTY, AND EVEN THIS SUPPORT HAS DIMINISHED SUBSTANTIALLY SINCE THE 1950S. MOREOVER, THE SOURCE OF THE TWO PRESIDENCIES WAS IDEOLOGICAL AGREEMENT RATHER THAN CONGRESSIONAL BIPARTISANSHIP OR DEFERENCE IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS OR THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESIDENT IN FOREIGN POLICYMAKING.