Since ratification of the 22nd Amendment in 1951, five American presidents—Eisenhower, Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and Obama—have been elected to serve a second term. Presumably, by virtue of their term-limited status, these presidents are free from electoral pressure to pursue policies in the public interest, but this is a questionable assumption. Second term presidents face a host of structural obstacles that make it difficult for them to carry out their tasks. How then do presidents lead through these politically-complex circumstances? How can presidents make the most of their second-tem "mandates" while battling against waning political power? This book seeks to answer the complex—and often paradoxical—challenges presidents encounter in their lame duck years.