Updated with new readings on the war in Iraq, the war on terror, the frontloaded nomination process, and President Bush’s place in history, the new edition of this popular reader gives students the analytical tools needed to make sense of the modern presidency and its relationship with other key players in our political system.

The selections in this reader were chosen with two aims in mind: (1) to provide a historical perspective, so often neglected in similar texts, that explains how the events of the past two centuries led us to where we are today, and (2) to present the most important current issues that are shaping the Bush administration and the presidency more broadly. This collection of readings offers students a combination of “classic” scholarly analyses, the best of current scholarship, and engaging insights into the nature of the contemporary presidency.