Presidential Power, Press Secretaries and Communication

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between an American President's public communication and his power and illustrates it by considering his relations with his Press Secretary. Communication is central to the concept of power and to the functioning of the presidency, but the relationship has attracted insufficient attention in the literature. The article argues that a President's control over how he is publicly understood is weak. Communication being central to power, lack of control implies a ‘weak’ view of the power of the President. The ability of both President and Secretary to make the President understood is jeopardised by aspects of the Secretary's personality and performance and by the nature of the presidency and the style of the incumbent. The respective access of press corps and Secretary to the President, and the quality of the relations between President and Secretary, are critical in particular cases.