Barack Obama and the Partisan Presidency: Four More Years?

Abstract

Despite his initial vow to be “post-partisan,” Barack Obama has followed the “partisan presidency” paradigm that has dominated since 1980. This has not always been by choice. Despite efforts at outreach, congressional Republicans have rarely backed Obama’s agenda. Continuing patterns seen in the 2012 election, Republican voters have tended to hold highly negative views of Obama. But Obama has also fed into polarized politics by seeking to enact the policy priorities of the Democratic Party. Other aspects of the “partisan presidency” have persisted: ideological niche media has thrived, while Obama has relied mostly upon Democratic veterans to staff his administration.