Presidential Performance in the Progressive Era: Leadership Style from McKinley to Wilson

The book evaluates the leadership styles of four Progressive Era presidents using Fred I. Greenstein's matrix, considering public communication, organizational capacity, political skill, policy vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence. It outlines the matrix and examines each president's life and career, performance as chief executive, and leadership according to the criteria. The authors compare and contrast the presidents.

Format: Hardback
Length: 136 pages
Publication date: 18 December 2023
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

The Presidential Performance in the Progressive Era: Leadership Style from McKinley to Wilson, a continuation of Fred I. Greenstein's multivolume Presidential Difference Project, delves into the assessment of presidential leadership during this transformative period. Greenstein's framework for evaluating leadership encompasses six key criteria: public communication, organizational capacity, political skill, policy vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence. This comprehensive analysis applies these criteria to the leadership styles of four Progressive Era presidents: William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.

The book begins by introducing Greenstein's matrix and providing a historical context of the Progressive Era, characterized by significant social, economic, and political changes. Greenstein and coauthor Dale Anderson then delve into the lives and careers of each president, exploring their backgrounds and influences that shaped their leadership. This insightful analysis helps to understand the unique characteristics and approaches of each president.

The subsequent chapters examine the performance of each president as chief executive, highlighting key issues and policy decisions that defined their administrations. The authors analyze the leadership of each president based on the six criteria outlined in Greenstein's matrix, providing a comprehensive evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses.

In the final chapter, the authors compare and contrast the four presidents based on each of the six criteria in the matrix. This comparative analysis offers valuable insights into the similarities and differences in their leadership styles and helps to shed light on the evolution of presidential leadership during the Progressive Era.

Overall, The Presidential Performance in the Progressive Era: Leadership Style from McKinley to Wilson is a valuable contribution to the study of presidential leadership and provides a comprehensive analysis of the leadership styles of four influential presidents. By applying Greenstein's matrix and examining the lives and careers of these presidents, the book offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by leaders during this transformative period.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781648431678