Abstract

The future of reconstructive presidential leadership is in question. It is increasingly difficult to tear out and replace institutions in today's constraining environment. However, historical–institutional theory suggests that alternative leadership possibilities exist. A reconstructive president may be able to reorder the political regime through application of a multiple modalities of change strategy. This project explores this prospect through study of Ronald Reagan's accomplishments in the budget battles of 1981. It applies a new analytic approach to determine if his well‐known successes can be translated into the historical–institutional conceptual framework. It confirms that previously hypothesized leadership possibilities exist and demonstrates the utility of the new analytic approach to the study of institutional change. Pros and cons of modern reconstructive leadership are illuminated and the new change‐framework is recommended for broader application in presidential studies.

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