The Opposition Presidency: Leadership and the Constraints of History

The Opposition Presidency: Leadership & The Constraints Of History by David A. Crockett (Assistant Professor of Political Science, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas) is an insightful 286-page treatise (including Notes, Bibliography, and Index) surveying and examining American Presidents throughout U.S. history as "opposition leaders." Focusing especially on Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton, but generalizing to others as well, The Opposition Presidency studies political balances, these presidents' attempts to push their agendas (often past a Congress or Senate of the opposite political party), and a great deal more. An intriguing and scholarly study, The Opposition Presidency is especially recommended for Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.