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Presidential leadership at the crossroads
William Howard Taft and the modern presidency
In Presidential Leadership at the Crossroads: William Howard Taft and the Modern Presidency, Michael J. Korzi examines Taft's presidency against the backdrop of early twentieth-century politics, placing particular emphasis on Taft's theory of presidential leadership. Though Taft's legacy is often overshadowed by those of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, his predecessor and successor, respectively, Taft's model of presidential leadership was complex and nuanced, forged in a time of changing expectations, at the crossroads between traditional and modern views of what the role of a president should be. This focus on Taft's leadership adds new dimension to our understandings of the so-called Progressive era and presidential leadership in general. Ultimately, Taft's leadership represented a middle-ground position, one that faced serious challenges from both conservative as well as radical forces, particularly the latter. While embodying some features of the modern presidency, Taft's model also represented a partial challenge to, and critique of, modern presidential leadership. Korzi reveals that Taft was considerably more modern in his leadership aspirations than previously thought and that his shift to traditionalism, or conservativism, only emerged with the threat of a third Roosevelt term on the horizon. Presidential Leadership at the Crossroads makes an important contribution to our understanding of presidents and their leadership. Taft's model is particularly relevant today given the prominence of the modern presidency, and its values and expectations. Taft's moderate, middle-way position provides a foundation for critiquing the excesses of the modern presidency, while offering a vision for strong, if disciplined, presidential leadership.
Introduction: William Howard Taft and Presidential Leadership at the Crossroads -- The Nomination of 1908: "Will Taft Be a President or a Proxy?" -- The General Election of 1908: "So Great Was the Demand for the Candidate" -- "Party Faith and Public Obligation": The Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act -- Theodore Roosevelt and the New Nationalism: "A Threat That Would Startle Most Conservative Institutions" -- "Well, I'm President": Taft's Use and Defense of the Veto in the Sixty-Second Congress -- "You Believe in the Rule of Law Rather Than the Rule of Men": Taft and the Challenge of 1912 -- "Straightening Sticks That Are Bent": William Howard Taft and the Search for Moderate Presidential Leadership -- Notes.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Joseph V. Hughes, Jr. and Holly O. Hughes series on the presidency and leadership