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Rating: 
Summary: intuitive if not empirical
Review: Kernell described "going public" as "a strategy whereby a president promotes himself and his policies in Washington by appealing to the American public for support" (p.2). Use of this strategy is said to be on the rise as it is particularly well suited to the modern president. Kernell argued that this strategy is a powerful tactic that can be used by a president to force a reluctant Congress to go along with a certain policy, but that it is incompatible with Neustadt's "bargaining president." He described several cases where the strategy was used, sometimes it worked, other times it did not, he said. The underlying premise though is that our government has moved from being institutionally pluralistic to a more individualized pluralism where every Congressman must fend for themselves (decline of party argument). One is left agreeing that public support does give a president certain leverage in bargaining with Congress, but how the support is measured or that it definitely replaces bargaining and forces Congress to act is not adequately substantiated. The book has some interesting stories on how some policies of some presidents played out in the political arena. If you like behind-the-scenes writings on policy making and president-Congress relations - buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: intuitive if not empirical
Review: Kernell described "going public" as "a strategy whereby a president promotes himself and his policies in Washington by appealing to the American public for support" (p.2). Use of this strategy is said to be on the rise as it is particularly well suited to the modern president. Kernell argued that this strategy is a powerful tactic that can be used by a president to force a reluctant Congress to go along with a certain policy, but that it is incompatible with Neustadt's "bargaining president." He described several cases where the strategy was used, sometimes it worked, other times it did not, he said. The underlying premise though is that our government has moved from being institutionally pluralistic to a more individualized pluralism where every Congressman must fend for themselves (decline of party argument). One is left agreeing that public support does give a president certain leverage in bargaining with Congress, but how the support is measured or that it definitely replaces bargaining and forces Congress to act is not adequately substantiated. The book has some interesting stories on how some policies of some presidents played out in the political arena. If you like behind-the-scenes writings on policy making and president-Congress relations - buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: informative, but sometimes misses the complete picture
Review: Kernell's book is a good look at the practice of presidential appeals to the public for support for his agenda. This is a subject that has been ignored in presidential literature, and it needed to be written.The problem with Kernell's conclusions that going public and a president's popularity will result in legislative success if flawed however. Kernell draws from conventional wisdom without looking at hard data while also picking and choosing instances that back up his assumptions. Bond and Fleisher's The President in the Legislative Arena show that a high popularity rating only has marginal effects on presidential success. They take a much more inclusive approach in their book, looking at entire terms of presidents Eisenhower through Reagan. When comparing the two pieces, it seems like Kernell started with his conclusions and worked his way backwards, picking out situations that fit into his assumptions. This doesn't make the book a bad one, just slightly misguided in the conclusions. His topic is an important one that deserves more scrutiny.
Rating:
Summary: informative, but sometimes misses the complete picture
Review: Kernell's book is a good look at the practice of presidential appeals to the public for support for his agenda. This is a subject that has been ignored in presidential literature, and it needed to be written. The problem with Kernell's conclusions that going public and a president's popularity will result in legislative success if flawed however. Kernell draws from conventional wisdom without looking at hard data while also picking and choosing instances that back up his assumptions. Bond and Fleisher's The President in the Legislative Arena show that a high popularity rating only has marginal effects on presidential success. They take a much more inclusive approach in their book, looking at entire terms of presidents Eisenhower through Reagan. When comparing the two pieces, it seems like Kernell started with his conclusions and worked his way backwards, picking out situations that fit into his assumptions. This doesn't make the book a bad one, just slightly misguided in the conclusions. His topic is an important one that deserves more scrutiny.
Rating: 
Summary: Necessary for understanding the presidency
Review: Kernell's fine work is a wonderful addition to the scholarly literature in political science on the American presidency. It's well-written and well-organized. His insights into why, when and how presidents "go public" and take their case over the heads of congressmen to the people are informative and worthwhile. Not all of his observations fit the case studies he uses, and he sometimes exaggerates his case a bit, but overall he makes good points. Highly recommended for scholars of the presidency, or American politics in general. Also a good book for a knowledgeable layman interested in politics.
Rating:
Summary: Necessary for understanding the presidency
Review: Kernell's fine work is a wonderful addition to the scholarly literature in political science on the American presidency. It's well-written and well-organized. His insights into why, when and how presidents "go public" and take their case over the heads of congressmen to the people are informative and worthwhile. Not all of his observations fit the case studies he uses, and he sometimes exaggerates his case a bit, but overall he makes good points. Highly recommended for scholars of the presidency, or American politics in general. Also a good book for a knowledgeable layman interested in politics.
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