Overview

What is presidential leadership and why have some presidents been considered “great” – or rather “transformational” – while others are not? What are the drivers which distinguish these presidents from the rest? Presidential Leadership in the Americas since Independence answers these questions through a systematic study of leadership across the Americas over 200 years, from independence to the present day. Having surveyed who the most cited presidents are in the Americas, Guy Burton and Ted Goertzel examine the experience of presidents from across the western hemisphere: the US, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. They study the relationship between these men and women’s actions within the constraints they faced during four political periods: independence, national consolidation during the nineteenth century, state-building from the late nineteenth to mid twentieth centuries and neoliberalism since the 1970s-80s. The most “transformational” presidents are found to be those who are not only able to innovate and build new political consensuses at a time of crisis, but also consolidate them so that the reforms becoming lasting – and extending beyond an individual president’s own political (even biological) lifetime.

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9781498526562

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This fascinating book gives a sweeping account of nearly 200 years of history to determine which presidents in the US and seven Latin American countries were the most 'transformational', for good or for ill. The book identifies and ranks outstanding leaders and justifies those choices with detailed historical and institutional analysis. By focusing primarily on historical moments when great change took place, the authors uncover the first-order impact of presidents and highlight the many ways through which that impact can unfold. -- Bernardo Mueller, Universidade de Brasilia

Burton (Mohammed Bin Rashid School) and Goertzel (Rutgers) approach an old issue in an innovative manner. They examine the question of what factors lead to transformational presidents but do so in a comparative manner with the US and Latin America. The analysis tries to bridge the disciplines of history and political science. The authors desire the detail and context of history along with the generalizability of political science. The theoretical framework, however, is drawn mainly from political science...There is much in this book to be commended, especially the conscious effort to bring in historical and political science approaches. CHOICE This fascinating book gives a sweeping account of nearly 200 years of history to determine which presidents in the US and seven Latin American countries were the most 'transformational', for good or for ill. The book identifies and ranks outstanding leaders and justifies those choices with detailed historical and institutional analysis. By focusing primarily on historical moments when great change took place, the authors uncover the first-order impact of presidents and highlight the many ways through which that impact can unfold. -- Bernardo Mueller, Universidade de Brasilia

Burton (Mohammed Bin Rashid School) and Goertzel (Rutgers) approach an old issue in an innovative manner. They examine the question of what factors lead to transformational presidents but do so in a comparative manner with the US and Latin America. The analysis tries to bridge the disciplines of history and political science. The authors desire the detail and context of history along with the generalizability of political science. The theoretical framework, however, is drawn mainly from political science....There is much in this book to be commended, especially the conscious effort to bring in historical and political science approaches. * CHOICE * This book constitutes the first attempt at a systematic study of presidential leadership in the Americas since Independence. Inspired by the contributions of James MacGregor Burns and Stephen Skowronek on the United States, Burton and Goertzel identify the outstanding leaders of the United States and seven Latin American countries. . . relate their contributions to their countries' history, and compare the emergent patterns across nations. Their contribution is therefore both methodological and substantive. . . . The book's contributions. . . pose interesting challenges to both historians and political scientists. * Reviews * This fascinating book gives a sweeping account of nearly 200 years of history to determine which presidents in the US and seven Latin American countries were the most `transformational', for good or for ill. The book identifies and ranks outstanding leaders and justifies those choices with detailed historical and institutional analysis. By focusing primarily on historical moments when great change took place, the authors uncover the first-order impact of presidents and highlight the many ways through which that impact can unfold. -- Bernardo Mueller, Universidade de Brasilia

Author Information

Guy Burton is assistant professor at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai. Ted Goertzel is professor emeritus of sociology and criminal justice at Rutgers University.

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