ABSTRACT
Good theoretically focused analyses of Bill Clinton’s approach to leadership, his performance as governor in specific policy areas, and the implications of both for his performance as president remain to be accomplished. Surprisingly little emerged during the presidential campaign about Clinton’s performance as governor. The Clinton presidency faced a basic set of public questions at the outset regarding its real intentions, strategies, and competence. These questions persisted throughout the first year of his presidency. Clinton has promised much, and many groups who have been outsiders during decades of Republican rule are expecting much from him. Americans’ belief in the competence and fairness of government has been repeatedly challenged since the Great Society programs begun by Lyndon Johnson in 1964. As a general rule, however, it remains to be seen whether short-term politically motivated corrections can fundamentally alter presidential tendencies that reflect basic psychological patterns.
