Books for the News, Politics and Current Events

"Incentives for Policy Pandering": an excerpt from Who Leads Whom?

jacket imageWith contemporary politics so connected to the pulse of the American people, Who Leads Whom?: Presidents, Policy, and the Public offers much-needed insight into how public opinion actually works in our democratic process. Analyzing the actions of modern presidents ranging from Eisenhower to Clinton, Brandice Canes-Wrone demonstrates that presidents’ involvement of the mass public, by putting pressure on Congress, shifts policy in the direction of majority opinion. More important, she also shows that presidents rarely cater to the mass citizenry unless they already agree with the public’s preferred course of action. Integrating perspectives from presidential studies, legislative politics, public opinion, and rational choice theory, this theoretical and empirical inquiry will appeal to a wide range of students and scholars of the American political process.
The March 2006 issue of Public Opinion Pros features an excerpt from Who Leads Whom?. Read the excerpt on the Public Opinion Pros Web site.