Although presidents may have a difficult time actually leading, voters still want a president who is a strong leader. Presidential Leadership in Public Opinion looks at the factors that affect voters' perceptions of the president, perceptions that, ultimately, affect presidential approval ratings, attitudes about Congress, and voter trust toward government in general.

1. The many meanings of presidential leadership; 2. Evidence on the public demand for presidential leadership; 3. Congressional sources of the president's leadership image; 4. Success in Congress and perceptions of presidential strength; 5. Presidential representation and public opinion; 6. Presidential leadership and presidential elections; 7. Perceptions of presidential leadership, trust in government, and attitudes toward Congress; 8. Presidential leadership, public opinion, and American democracy.

'Americans thirst for strong presidential leadership. But what qualities do they demand in a chief executive? Cohen's study explores in detail the foundations of this amorphous concept. Cohen shows how assessments of presidential leadership both shape and are shaped by the president's ability to get things done in Washington. More provocatively, Cohen argues that voters' evaluations of presidential leadership affect their judgment of and satisfaction with the political system more broadly.' Douglas Kriner, Boston College, Massachusetts'A timely and powerful book. Cohen provides a penetrating and revealing examination of presidential leadership in the public mind - what it means, what influences it, and what consequences it has. Relying on careful theorizing and analysis, he demonstrates that people want a president who is a strong leader but also one who is representative of the public. This produces a tension that presidents must navigate, one that is closely scrutinized by mass media actors and has implications for presidents' political fortunes and the broader political system. Presidential Leadership in Public Opinion is thought-provoking and persuasive, and I heartily recommend it.' Christopher Wlezien, University of Texas, Austin'In Presidential Leadership in Public Opinion, Jeffrey Cohen expertly tackles questions that have long bedeviled scholarship on the presidency: what is leadership and how it does matter? In an analytic stroke of genius, Cohen convincingly argues that how the public views presidents as leaders extends well beyond their approval of the person inhabiting the White House. Across a wide range of meticulously executed empirical analyses, Cohen demonstrates the importance of perceptions of leadership for a presidential success, both in Congress and in subsequent elections. Leaving no stone unturned, Cohen shows that the public's assessments of presidential leadership travel further still, affecting the ways they evaluate government as a whole. In addition to making substantial contributions to our understanding of how presidents respond to public expectations, this book sets an exciting new agenda for the study of leadership.' Jon Rogowski, Washington University, St Louis'Professor Cohen's book marks an important advance in how we study the public presidency. At the same time, it invites us to grapple further with some of the topic's most vexing features.' Bruce Miroff, Congress and the Presidency