1. Introduction: Trump's Presidency; Neustadt's Model
2. The Trump Record So Far: Are We Tired of Winning Yet?
3. Making Sense of the Trump Presidency through Neustadt's Presidential Power
4. Three Cases of Catastrophe
5. "No Place for Amateurs": Trump as Decider and Administrator-in-Chief
6. Surviving at the top?: Trump's Buoyancy and Perseverance in Defiance of Neustadt's Model
7. Trumping Neustadt?: An Altered Political Environment helps No. 45
8. Conclusion: What Trump's Presidency Teaches Us About Presidential Power (and Presidential Power)
Postscript
Todd M. Schaefer is Professor of Political Science, Central Washington University, USA. He teaches courses on American politics and political behavior. His research interests and publications are in the areas of political communication, mass media, the presidency and war/terrorism.
This work attempts to understand the chaotic and enigmatic presidency of Donald Trump through Neustadt’s iconic work on presidential power and bargaining. Neustadt’s model explains much of Trump’s difficulties in office, but not his relative success. It argues he defies expectation due to new political realities such as party polarization, a transformed media, and the administrative presidency.
Todd M. Schaefer is Professor of Political Science, Central Washington University, USA