"Hargrove argues that political leadership must contain a moral element if it is to be fully effective ... He suggests a model with which to analyze, compare, and evaluate political leaders, and then assesses the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan according to the model's normative implications."--Jacket.

A Companion to Ronald Reagan evaluates in unprecedented detail the events, policies, politics, and people of Reagan’s administration. It assesses the scope and influence of his various careers within the context of the times, providing wide-ranging coverage of his administration, and his legacy. Assesses Reagan and his impact on the development of the United States based on new documentary evidence and engagement with the most recent secondary literature Offers a mix of historiographic chapters devoted to foreign and domestic policy, with topics integrated thematically and chronologically Includes a section on key figures associated politically and personally with Reagan

This is the first and only ready-reference source on the Reagan-Bush years, 1980-1992. No other single volume provides readily available and concise information on the key developments and figures of this period. Organized A-Z, it features over 250 entries on key personalities, issues, events, political and governmental developments, foreign and domestic concerns, laws, terms and catchphrases, and social and cultural trends of the era. Entries are 100-1,000 words in length and conclude with a list of suggested readings. The work also features a chronology of events, statistical charts and tables, and photographs and is thoroughly cross-referenced in boldface for ease of use. The organizing principle of the work is a focus on individuals and events that directly relate to Presidents Reagan and Bush and their administrations. In addition there are entries on social trends, world events, and popular culture. The book presents a balanced account of the Reagan-Bush years. Entries favor description over judgment while at the same time offering a sense of the controversy that surrounded and in some cases still surrounds the events and actions of the Reagan-Bush presidencies. Biographies of key figures in their administrations, Supreme Court appointments, related players on the national and world stage, summaries of significant pieces of legislation, and balanced analyses of their domestic and foreign policies are featured. Entries also include many terms and catchphrases such as Reaganomics, No New Taxes, and A Thousand Points of Light. This is the perfect first-stop for information on all aspects of this important period in American history and will fill a gap in public and high school library reference collections.

Choice Outstanding Title H. R. Haldeman, President Nixon's former chief of staff, is said to have boasted: "Every president needs a son of a bitch, and I'm Nixon's. I'm his buffer and I'm his bastard. I get done what he wants done and I take the heat instead of him." Richard Ellis explores the widely discussed but poorly understood phenomenon of presidential "lightning rods"--cabinet officials who "take the heat" instead of their bosses. Whether by intent or circumstance, these officials divert criticism and blame away from their presidents. The phenomenon is so common that it's assumed to be an essential item in every president's managerial toolbox. But, Ellis argues, such assumptions can oversimplify our understanding of this tool. Ellis advises against indiscriminate use of the lightning rod metaphor. Such labeling can hide as much as it reveals about presidential administration and policymaking at the cabinet level. The metaphor often misleads by suggesting strategic intent on the president's part while obscuring the calculations and objectives of presidential adversaries and the lightning rods themselves. Ellis also illuminates the opportunities and difficulties that various presidential posts--especially secretaries of state, chiefs of staff, and vice presidents--have offered for deflecting blame from our presidents. His study offers numerous detailed and instructive examples from the administrations of Truman (Dean Acheson); Eisenhower (Richard Nixon, John Foster Dulles, Herbert Brownell, and Ezra Taft Benson); LBJ (Hubert Humphrey); Ford (Henry Kissinger); and Reagan (James Watt). These examples, Ellis suggests, should guide our understanding of the relationship between lightning rods and presidential leadership, policymaking, and ratings. Blame avoidance, he warns, does have its limitations and may even backfire at times. Nevertheless, President Clinton and his successors may need to rely on such tools. The presidency, Ellis points out, finds itself the object of increasingly intense partisan debate and microscopic scrutiny by a wary press. Lightning rods can deflect such heat and help the president test policies, gauge public opinion, and protect his political power and public image. Ellis's book is an essential primer for helping us understand this process.