'The New Imperial Presidency' suggests that the Congressional framework meant to guide and constrain presidential behavior has slowly eroded over the decades since Watergate. Author Andrew Rudalevige describes the evolution of executive power in a separated system of governance
The evolution of the Supreme Court nomination process is examined through the lens of organized interest groups and their fluctuating influence. Beginning in the late 19th century, the book highlights how social and technological changes shaped the confirmation landscape. Maltese discusses the limitations faced by these groups due to the lack of popular election for senators until 1913 and the secrecy surrounding Senate proceedings until 1929. These structural factors significantly impacted the ability of interest groups to effectively engage in the confirmation process.
"Never losing sight of the foundations of the office, The Politics of the Presidency maintains a balance between historical context and contemporary scholarship on the executive branch, providing a solid foundation for any presidency course. Pika, Maltese and Rudalevige will highlight a 10th edition with a thorough analysis of the change and continuity in the presidency during Trump's first term. They will anticipate changes in the Nov 2020 election and we'll then publish a Revised Edition in 2021 to account for the election results and the forecast for the future of the Presidency"--
In this eye-opening book, Andrew Rudalevige examines more than five hundred executive orders from the 1930s to today--as well as more than two hundred others negotiated but never issued--shedding vital new light on the multilateral process of drafting supposedly unilateral directives. He draws on a wealth of archival evidence from the Office of Management and Budget and presidential libraries as well as original interviews to show how the crafting of orders requires widespread consultation and compromise with a formidable bureaucracy. Rudalevige explains the key role of management in the presidential skill set, detailing how bureaucratic resistance can stall and even prevent actions the chief executive desires, and how presidents must bargain with the bureaucracy even when they seek to act unilaterally.