Moral Leadership And the American Presidency

by Denton, Robert E., Jr.

• ISBN13: 9780742539488
• ISBN10: 0742539482
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-11-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

This book calls for moral presidential leadership and a return to a heroic presidency. Surveying presidential character throughout our history, Robert E. Denton, Jr., argues that character and integrity are essential presidential traits. He compares the scandal-filled terms of Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon and looks at George W. Bush vis-vis the elections, September 11, and the Iraq War. He addresses the myth of separating private from public behavior and shows how virtually everything presidents do or say influences their decisions and impacts citizens. Moral Leadership and the American Presidency is a must-read for anyone interested in the modern role of the president or in morality in American public life.

Author Biography

Robert E. Denton, Jr. holds the W. Thomas Rice Chair of Leadership Studies and serves as director of the Major General W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Presidential Character: Does It Really Matter?	1	(14)
The Diminished Presidency: Post-Clinton	15	(14)
The American Presidency: The Job Description	29	(16)
The American Presidency and Moral Leadership	45	(14)
The Case of William Jefferson Clinton	59	(30)
So, What About George W. Bush?	89	(30)
The Presidency, Moral Leadership, and a Government as Good as the American People	119	(18)
Selected Bibliography	137	(5)
Index	142	(6)
About the Author	148