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Varieties of Obamaism: Structure, Agency, and the Obama Presidency

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2010

Lawrence R. Jacobs  and
Desmond S. King
Lawrence R. Jacobs
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota. E-mail: ljacobs@umn.edu
Desmond S. King
Affiliation:
Nuffield College, University of Oxford. E-mail: desmond.king@nuffield.ox.ac.uk
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Abstract

President Obama's record stands out among modern presidents because of the wide range between his accomplishments and the boldness of his as-yet unfulfilled promises. Obamaism is a complex phenomenon, with multiple themes and policy ends. In this paper we examine the administration's initiatives drawing upon recent scholarship in political science to consider the political, economic and institutional constraints that Obama has faced and to assess how he has faced them. Our key theme is the importance of integrating the study of presidency and public leadership with the study of the political economy of the state. The paper argues against personalistic accounts of the Obama presidency in favor of a structured agency approach.

Type
Reflections
Information
Perspectives on Politics , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 793 - 802
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2010

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