Presidential approval ratings appear on the evening news every time they are announced. They also are required reading for the president's staff. As a result, modern presidents operate under conditions similar to a perpetual reelection campaign. With constant attention to approval ratings and other indicators of public opinion, why do so many presidents lose favor by the time their terms end? Why are they so often unable to address and reverse their slippage in the polls?
"Out of Touch: ""The"" Presidency and Public Opinion" compares the changes in the ways the Truman, Johnson, and Carter...