This chapter offers a historical perspective on the evolution of the presidential office and explains the steady increase in its power, surpassing the original expectations of the Framers. It also examines the presidential selection process and the staffing of the modern presidency, both of which contribute to the president’s prominence in the American political system. These are the main points of the chapter:

The presidency has become a much stronger office than the Framers envisioned. The Constitution grants the president substantial military, diplomatic, legislative, and executive powers, and in each case the president’s authority has increased measurably. Underlying this change is the president’s position as the one leader chosen by the whole nation. The public’s support and expectations underlie presidential claims of broad authority.

National crises have contributed to the growth of presidential power. The public looks to the president during national emergencies, in part because Congress is poorly suited to the decisive and continuous action that emergencies require. Changing world and national conditions have also enhanced the presidency. These changes have placed new and greater demands on the federal government, demands that the president is in some ways better able than Congress to meet.

The nation has had four systems of presidential selection. The first centered on Congress and the electoral college, the second on party conventions, the third on a convention system with some state primaries, and the current one on state primaries and open caucuses as the dominant method of choosing presidential nominees. Each succeeding system has been more "democratic" in that it was designed to give the public greater influence in the choice of the president and thus to make the selection more legitimate.

To gain nomination, a strong showing in the early primaries is necessary because news coverage and other resources flow toward winning candidates. This momentum is a critical factor in nominating races but normally benefits a candidate who, by virtue of past record, stands on issues, ideology, or other factors, already is in the strongest position to win nomination. Once nominated, the major-party candidates receive federal funds for the general election campaign; much of this money is spent on televised political advertising. The candidates themselves spend

their time traveling around the nation, concentrating on the states with large numbers of electoral votes and trying to get favorable coverage from the journalists who follow their every move. Winning candidates must meet the formal requirements for office outlined in the Constitution, and most meet the informal requirements (on gender, race, etc.) that have evolved over time.

Although the campaign tends to personalize the presidency, the responsibilities of the modern presidency far exceed any president’s personal capacities. To meet their obligations, presidents have surrounded themselves with large staffs of advisors, policy experts, and managers. These staff members enable the president to extend control over the executive branch while providing him with the information necessary for policymaking. All recent presidents have discovered, however, that their control of staff resources is incomplete and that some things that others do on their behalf actually work against what they are trying to accomplish.