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The Presidency

Jeffrey Cohen, Fordham University - Bronx
David Nice, Washington State University - Pullman

Public Opinion and the Presidency

End of Chapter Questions


1		Why is the president important to the mass public, and why is the public important to the president? In what ways is the president-public relationship unique? In what ways does the relationship between the president and the public present the president with opportunities as well as constraints?



2		How has the relationship between the president and the public evolved over time? What does this evolution tell us about the changing nature of the American



3		What is Woodrow Wilson’s theory of the government and the role of public opinion in the government process? In what ways were Wilson’s ideas a departure from previous thinking? How have Wilson’s ideas affected current thinking and presidential behavior?



4		How has the office of the presidency evolved to mobilize public support on behalf of the president? What are the major offices that have been established for that end?



5		In what ways has polling affected the presidency? Are presidents attentive to polls? Do polls increase presidential responsiveness to public opinion or merely enable presidents to manipulate public opinion more effectively?



6		What devices and strategies do presidents use to generate public attention and support? How successful are presidents in influencing public opinion? What are the implications of presidential attempts to influence public thinking on the quality of governing in the modern United States?



7		What is the nature of public opinion toward the president? What influences a president’s standing with the public? What can the president do to improve his public standing? Which presidents seem to be most successful in generating a strong public standing?

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