The Character Factor

How We Judge America's Presidents
Erscheinungsjahr 2004
ISBN: 978-1-58544-315-4
Verlag: Texas A&M University Press

Buch, Englisch, 224 Seiten, Hardback, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 235 mm

Reihe: Joseph V. Hughes Jr. and Holly O. Hughes Series on the Presidency and Leadership

The American president's character matters. To most Americans, it matters deeply. But how do we define what character means, and why can't we agree? In this sober, probing consideration of ""the character factor"" and the presidency, veteran political analyst James P. Pfiffner leads us through a survey of three aspects of presidential character that have proved problematic for recent chief executives: lies, promise-keeping, and sexual probity. His goal is not to tell us which presidents have been ""good"" and which ""bad."" Rather, he helps us think critically and impartially about complex character issues and invites us to reach our own conclusions. The Character Factor avoids both moral judgments and cynicism. It helps us look at our presidents (and our presidential candidates) without illusions, knowing that flawed men can still be great leaders but that some flaws deserve defeat at the polls - or even the ultimate presidential sanction, impeachment.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Über Autor(innen)

James P. Pfiffner, who lives in Burke, Virginia, has written or edited ten books and many articles about the presidency, including The Managerial Presidency, Second Edition, also published by Texas A&M Press. University Professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, he is frequently invited to lecture on various topics related to the American president.