The Isolated Presidency

How powerful is the President of the United States? In The Isolated Presidency, Jordan T. Cash re-frames this question to instead ask what authority is available to all presidents. Drawing on the Constitution itself, Cash argues that the presidency possesses an internal logic derived from its structure, duties, and powers which not only grants the president a unique institutional perspective, but also provides the president with considerable agency and discretion in pursuing his agenda. Through three case studies of "isolated presidents"--presidents who were unelected, faced divided government, and were opposed by major factions of their own political parties--Cash provides lessons and examples of what constitutionally derived actions a president can take when confronted with the recurring issues of divided government and political gridlock.