Question 8: ‘It is through foreign policy alone that we can judge the success of a
President.’ Assess the validity of this statement.
Think carefully about the question
Break it up into sections
HOW DO YOU JUDGE THE SUCCESS OF A PRESIDENT?
‘All Presidents want to be successful, but what does it mean to be a success? High
popularity? A good historical reputation? Achieving one’s policy goals? A high
congressional support score? Getting one’s way?
If success is measured by merely getting one’s way, then many bullies are
successful. But success in leadership means more than getting what one wants. In
determining what one wants, we must always ask, ‘power for what ends?’ because
power divorced from purpose is potentially dangerous and democratically
undesirable.
In a democracy people tend to get the President they deserve. Apathy allows power
to slip through our hands………….if we abandon politics, power abandons us.
In a democracy, a successful leader pursues and uses power, not for selfish ends,
not to aggrandise his or her own status, but to achieve the goals of empowerment.
Democratic leaders are educators, they are visionaries. They move the government
in pursuit of the consensus generated from the values of the nation. They appeal to
the best of citizens and attempt to lead the nation toward its better self.
Michael Genovese, The Power of the American Presidency’ 1789 – 2000 (2001)
Does this question mean - how well are they
doing their job?
What is their job?
Is it just Foreign Policy?
No - They have 5 roles





Head of State
Chief Executive
Commander – in – Chief
Chief Diplomat
Chief Legislator
‘Given the plethora of potential obstacles that stand in their way, it sometimes
seems almost miraculous that presidents accomplish anything at all of significance,
especially in domestic policy’ – David Mervin
This view would indicate therefore, that the two roles of - Commander – in –
Chief and Chief Diplomat have the least obstacles. They are to do with foreign
policy and maybe this is why the statement in the essay question, has picked
foreign policy as the freer, less checked role of a president. Why is this? This
would indicate that foreign policy will see more action and therefore have a
longer list of accomplishments to judge whether or not a president is successful.
So – according to this statement, if a President is successful in foreign policy
roles he can be judged to be successful overall.
Does this mean that his other roles are less
important?
Does this mean that there is something about the
other three roles that makes it hard to judge
whether or not the president is successful?
YES
Read these viewpoints……..
The Presidency is an office of ‘high expectations yet limited power, many demands,
yet few resources’ Most presidents realise that ‘opportunities to check their power
abound’ while ‘opportunities to exercise their power are limited’- Cronin and
Genovese
What are the checks that Cronin and Genovese mention? Remember the 9
checks that the legislature (Congress) and the judiciary (Supreme Court) have
over the executive (President)
So, how are you going to answer the question?
Question 8: ‘It is through foreign policy alone that we can judge the success of a
President.’ Assess the validity of this statement.
What then, does being a successful President mean?
There are numerous accepted factors required for presidential success. These
are:
1. Popularity
2. Party control of Congress
3. An understanding of Washington politics
4. An understanding of international politics
5. moral authority
6. An ability to persuade
IN YOUR ESSAY, you might……..


Judge a president against the above factors.
Look at their record on foreign policy, are their victories? What is
the definition of VICTORY in foreign policy?
 Assess whether success is impossible to judge on the domestic
front.
 Are there EXTERNAL factors or circumstances which create the
illusion of success or failure.
 Conclude
Viewpoints
The reality of the office is ‘It is not a powerful office… presidents cannot
command obedience to their wishes but must persuade others that their best
interests lie with presidential preferences’ - James Pfiffner
‘There are three rules for being an effective president, yet no-one knows exactly
what they are’ – Somerset Maugham, novelist