ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses several issues in an attempt to show how considerations of presidential time and strategy, in the sense of putting the president on automatic pilot, of wholesaling instead of retailing, would make a difference. Two variables are interacting: one is the style of leadership—either managerial a la President Carter or individualist like Prime Minister Thatcher; another is the scope of leadership—many major issues or only a few. The basic advice offered is to reduce the size and clarify the jurisdiction of the executive office of the president. Only a few issues are to be identified as of presidential importance; twenty-five to thirty-five are to be mainly departmental, with presidential advice; the rest are to be left to secretaries, with only general guidance. The political system is fragmented; knowledge of public policy is inadequate; government has become unwieldy; no president is likely to do everything well; and a turbulent external world will continue to punish presidents.