The president as leader: appealing to the better angels of our nature

Abstract

Few issues have clung to the presidency in recent years as tenaciously as that of moral leadership. This book is based on a lifetime of personal observation by the author and it examines the politics of ideals to propose that, just as moral purpose without political craft is weak, political acumen without moral appeal is futile. Looking back to political theory as old as Aristotle and Machiavelli, Erwin C. Hargrove asks how presidents can most effectively combine political arts and skills with intellectual and moral leadership. He draws on his own scholarly history and synthesizes critical thinking about leadership - especially the point-counterpoint perspectives of Richard Neustadt and James MacGregor Burns. Hargrove shows how effective leadership demands a judicious balance of commitment to the public good and the ability to discern the possibilities for political action at any moment. Hargrove argues that political leadership must contain a moral element if it is to be fully effective, and that a successful president must provide leadership in accord with the ideals embedded in American culture. To demonstrate this, he proposes a model with which to analyze, compare and evaluate political leaders: he then assesses the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan according to the normative implications of his model. By examining the three presidents in terms of skill, character, cultural leadership and other qualities, he extends his analysis beyond individuals to generate keen insights about leadership in general. This book clearly shows that craft dissolves into cleverness without a clear sense of moral purpose, and that truth-telling, empowerment and altruism in politics are not only desirable but achievable. It synthesizes years of obervation about issues that occupy the thoughts of many Americans. In harking back to Lincoln's evocation of the better angels of our nature, Hargrove reminds us that we may, even as leaders, be better versions of ourselves.