Neustadt and Rose differ on the degree which they feel popular support effects the presidency. Neustadt factors popular support, public prestige, as secondary to professional reputation. Public support is a tool used by Washington insiders to anticipate presidential reactions and determine presidential bargaining power. Rose places greater emphasis on the importance of public support. The decline of political parties has severed the grassroots connections of the President. The presidency is an indispensable link to the American people. Yet, because there is no rise through party systems, there is no broad base of support.
Rose’s theory on presidential power differs from Neustadt because Rose sees the President as inherently good. Rose describes the President as innovative, ambitious, and creative. According to Rose, presidents should have unrestricted power as given to them by the vague description in the Constitution. It is obvious that Rose’s views on the presidency are that it should be an office of unrestricted powers. Rose sites Hamilton as important to the study of presidential power. Hamilton was part of “the Radicals” group of constitutional framers which outline the presidency as strong and independent with broad power. Neustadt preaches conservation of power. If the President must act, he has failed.
Both Neustadt and Rose emphasize the importance of being a Washington insider. Rose presents Carter as an example of failure due to being and outsider. Carter campaigned as a Washington outsider, and did not like Washington politics. These factors lead to low support for presidential agendas. Rose again attributes the decline of political parties to failure of presidential support. The shift from party based to candidate based campaigns has weakened presidential ties in Washington. When a candidate comes into office he does not bring with him a broad base of party support anymore. The President is thusly restricted in his abilities to produce policy changes. Neustadt stated Carter also as a weak president due to low professional reputation. Carter could not get what he wanted from Congress like tax on waterways and the National Energy Plan. Weakening party ties leads to and individual based campaign, which leads to outsider failure.
Rose identifies the media as shaping public perceptions of the President. General consensus of The President most often involves thoughts of power seekers, mentally unbalanced, and essentially sneaky politicians. Rose has unrealistic views of a naturally ambitious president. He exemplifies Clinton as having an ambitious health care plan. Rose points to Clinton being an outsider as the reason for plan failure. Clinton used Washington outsiders to draft the plan, and appointed the first lady in charge. Rose fails to recognize that Clinton’s health care plan was unrealistic. Clinton’s plan allowed for monopoly of six major insurance companies, which so happened to be his campaign contributors. Perhaps Clinton was operating as an outsider to make sure that a feasible plan was not created, in order to remain copasetic with his financial supporters. If Clinton was as creative and inherently good as Rose describes, he would have supported the single payer plan, which already had overwhelming support in Congress.
Rose attributes media attacks to apprehension of candidates to seek office. This is not necessarily so because although George Bush, Jr. had many reasons to fear the media, he still ran for president. Political influence was able to bury stories of his military duties and criminal activities.
Rose’s all or nothing mentality leads to exaggerated claims about presidential failure. Presidential power over budget matters is not as hindered as Rose states. Presidential budget is passed with a rate of approximately 98%. Rose identifies decreasing passage rates through Congress as a symbol of increasing presidential weakness. President Bush prevailed in Congress 62% of the time. Greater than fifty percent passage rate is not a complete and total failure as Rose describes. The President shares power with the two other branches of government, he is not meant to have 100% of the say on any issue. . Rose identifies the War Powers Resolution as weakening presidential power as commander-in-chief. The War Powers Resolution allows the President to wage war anywhere, anytime, for any reason for 90 days, this is not weak,
Rose is very disillusioned about campaign financing, contending fat cat influences have been admirably contained due to public funding. Realistically, soft money plays a large role in a presidential campaign. Clinton’s loyalty to his soft money contributors is obvious in his health care plan.
Lobby reform policies that Rose proposes will not work, because they need to be passed by people who are already benefiting from the system. Congress is not inclined to lose funding or perks given to them by outside influences.
Although Rose’s description of bureaucracy is exaggerated, his idea of reforming patronage is necessary. Presidents should appoint leaders of implementation who are more responsive to the executive office, and accountable to the President. Reforming the patronage system allows for better evaluation of the President.
Repealing the twenty-second amendment adds to the power of the presidency by reducing lame duck views and increasing Washington affiliation. An outsider president can increase is ability to bargain if term limits are not imposed. Even a Washington outsider can eventually find his niche and be effective, but not if he is limited. Lame duck views of a second term president decrease his bargaining power and effectiveness.
Neustadt and Rose identify factors which contribute to weaknesses of the presidency, but fail to recognize the big picture. Both analysis are narrow and focus on only specific issues. Neustadt’s arguments are favorable, because they allow the President to take an active role in acquisitioning power. Rose’s views of a helpless president, dependent on outside reform to function, are impracticable. It is hard to believe that the President is so debilitated that he can not on his own actively attain and retain power.
