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Presidential Success and the Policy Divide

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Date Issued:
2008
Abstract/Description:
This research evaluates presidential legislative success with an analysis of roll call votes on which the president expressed a preference, 1953-2006. The dependent variables reflect presidential success, presidential support, and opposition party support. The analysis finds that the independent variable responsible for the greatest variance of presidential success in both chambers is divided government. Presidents generally are more successful on foreign policy legislation than domestic policy legislation in both chambers. However, the disparity between the two policy realms becomes less distinguishable during major foreign conflicts. Regression analysis indicates that the occurrence of major foreign conflicts is associated with increased presidential success and opposition party support on domestic policy in the House. Yet, the occurrence of foreign conflicts has a minimal effect on presidential success and opposition party support on foreign policy legislation in the House. In the Senate, the occurrence of foreign conflicts has a minimal impact on presidential success.
Title: Presidential Success and the Policy Divide.
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Name(s): Hicks, William
Schwerin, Edward, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2008
Date Issued: 2008
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 149 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: This research evaluates presidential legislative success with an analysis of roll call votes on which the president expressed a preference, 1953-2006. The dependent variables reflect presidential success, presidential support, and opposition party support. The analysis finds that the independent variable responsible for the greatest variance of presidential success in both chambers is divided government. Presidents generally are more successful on foreign policy legislation than domestic policy legislation in both chambers. However, the disparity between the two policy realms becomes less distinguishable during major foreign conflicts. Regression analysis indicates that the occurrence of major foreign conflicts is associated with increased presidential success and opposition party support on domestic policy in the House. Yet, the occurrence of foreign conflicts has a minimal effect on presidential success and opposition party support on foreign policy legislation in the House. In the Senate, the occurrence of foreign conflicts has a minimal impact on presidential success.
Identifier: FA00000928 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Subject(s): Political leadership--United States
Executive power--United States
United States--Congress--Powers and duties
United States--Politics and government--2001-
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000928
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.