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George W. Bush and the Partisan Presidency
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George W. Bush and The Partisan Presidency
Richard M. Skinner
Williams College
## email not listed ##
Political scientists have tended to see the powerful presidency of the 20
th
and the 21
st
centuries as being the enemy of strong political parties. But
over the past quarter century, presidents – most notably Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush – have been following a more partisan path. They have been relying on their parties more for support, both in Congress and in the electorate, seeking greater partisan control over the executive branch, and even using the media more to mobilize the base than to reach swing voters. George W. Bush is the epitome of a “partisan president”, owing his electoral and legislative victories on overwhelming support from his fellow Republicans, showing little regard for “neutral competence” in administration or policymaking, and cultivating a “new partisan press.” But, ironically, Bush’s partisanship may have proved self-defeating, alienating Democrats and Independents, and leading to a landslide defeat for his party in the 2006 elections.
Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 12-15, 2007, Chicago, Illinois. Copyright by the Midwest Political Science Association. Portions of this essay appear in The State of the Parties (5
th
edition), John C. Green and
Daniel J. Coffey, eds. (2007, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield).
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| | Authors: Skinner, Richard. |
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| |
|
|
George W. Bush and The Partisan Presidency
Richard M. Skinner
Williams College
## email not listed ##
Political scientists have tended to see the powerful presidency of the 20
th
and the 21
st
centuries as being the enemy of strong political parties. But
over the past quarter century, presidents – most notably Ronald Reagan
and George W. Bush – have been following a more partisan path. They
have been relying on their parties more for support, both in Congress and
in the electorate, seeking greater partisan control over the executive
branch, and even using the media more to mobilize the base than to reach
swing voters. George W. Bush is the epitome of a “partisan president”,
owing his electoral and legislative victories on overwhelming support
from his fellow Republicans, showing little regard for “neutral
competence” in administration or policymaking, and cultivating a “new
partisan press.” But, ironically, Bush’s partisanship may have proved self-
defeating, alienating Democrats and Independents, and leading to a
landslide defeat for his party in the 2006 elections.
Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 12-
15, 2007, Chicago, Illinois. Copyright by the Midwest Political Science Association.
Portions of this essay appear in The State of the Parties (5
th
edition), John C. Green and
Daniel J. Coffey, eds. (2007, Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield).
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