Includes bibliographical references (p. [289]-306) and index.

Questions and quandaries of presidential leadership -- The constrained presidency: a conditional theory of presidential leadership -- Presidential (non-) leadership of public opinion -- Successful presidential leadership of public opinion -- Case studies of successful leadership (domestic policy) -- Nixon implements wage and price controls -- Reagan and the negotiation over the budget -- Clinton and the budget debate -- Case studies of unsuccessful leadership (domestic policy) -- Kennedy's Medicare proposal -- Ford attempts to 'whip inflation now' -- Reagan 'reforms' social security -- Case studies of successful leadership (foreign policy) -- Evolution of Johnson's Vietnam policy -- Carter on the Panama Canal treaties -- Bush and the initiation of the Gulf War -- Case studies of unsuccessful leadership (foreign policy) -- Nixon (temporarily) escalates Vietnam -- Reagan presses for 'contra' funding -- Clinton withdraws from Somalia -- Implications for leadership and the public presidency -- Epilogue: Presidents 43 and 44 -- Appendix A. Case selection and matching statements and opinion polling -- Appendix B. Case study selection and archival data collection -- Appendix C. Models and data.