The Rhetorical Presidency [Paperback]

Jeffrey K. Tulis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1988 | ISBN-10: 069102295X | ISBN-13: 978-0691022956

"This is a brilliant book. The author does not overlap with the existing literature as much as offer an entirely new way of thinking about the phenomenon he describes. The book should draw respectful attention in a variety of disciplines - history, philosophy, and communications, as well as political science...I could go on and on; there is no end to my appreciation for this work." - Michael Nelson, Vanderbilt University. "This book is full of good writing, sound judgment, and the exactly appropriate rhetoric for an analysis of the rhetorical presidency. Everyone is aware of references to the presidency as a bully pulpit and to presidents as great (or poor) communicators. But it takes a book like Tulis's to put all this together as an essential, perhaps the essential, political dimension of the presidency." - Theodore J. Lowi, Cornell University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Over the past few years the conceptual foundations of presidential studies have been recast. Jeffrey Tulis's The Rhetorical Presidency stands . . . as one of the benchmarks of the new formulation. . . . a formidable piece of scholarship. -- Stephen Skowronek, The Review of Politics

From the Back Cover

"This is a brilliant book. The author does not overlap with the existing literature as much as offer an entirely new way of thinking about the phenomenon he describes. The book should draw respectful attention in a variety of disciplines--history, philosophy, and communications, as well as political science. . . . I could go on and on; there is no end to my appreciation for this work."--Michael Nelson, Vanderbilt University

"This book is full of good writing, sound judgment, and the exactly appropriate rhetoric for an analysis of the rhetorical presidency. Everyone is aware of references to the presidency as a bully pulpit and to presidents as great (or poor) communicators. But it takes a book like Tulis's to put all this together as an essential, perhaps the essential, political dimension of the presidency."--Theodore J. Lowi, Cornell University

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (September 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069102295X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691022956
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent -- an absolute must-have., October 6, 2004

By 

Newsman78 "newsman78" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rhetorical Presidency (Paperback)

Tulis has written a brilliant account of the changing styles of presidential rhetoric. His essential argument is that the Framers intended the President to use rhetoric only to speak directly to Congress, rarely if ever to the masses, and always to put his ideas in a constitutional framework. But post-Woodrow Wilson, presidents speak directly to the public, even when ostensibly speaking to Congress, and have tried to overcome the constitutional barriers on their power.

This book is well-written and is compact enough to be read quickly, but these features take nothing away from the superlative scholarship (in fact, many dense books could use some judicious editing down to this size). A must-have for all scholars of the presidency, and for the casual reader who wants to learn more about presidential rhetoric.