In last week's readings we briefly touched n the "two (or dual) presidencies thesis" which argues that "there are two versions of the American President: one who is concerned with domestic policy and one concerned with foreign policy." Presidents tend to have greater discretion in foreign policy than domestic policy because Congress has a greater role to play in domestic policy and can place limits on what presidents can do there than in foreign policy. The Constitution also seems to grant the president greater leeway in foreign affairs than domestic affairs.
Recent stories have hit on this issue regarding President Obama and his relative successes and failures in each domain. Some seem to confirm the idea that presidents have more success in foreign affairs than domestic affairs. Read through the following stories (feel free to look for more) and weigh in on this. How might this impact the election of 2012? Some of the stories below suggest that we might be seeing a change in the way voters look at each party. Republicans tend to have advantages on security matters and Democrats on well being issues - these might be changing.
- Governing with a Free Hand.
- The National Security Advantage.
- The Difference Between Foreign and Domestic Successes.
- Can Obama Win as a War President? - The Atlantic.
- Is Obama Still Weak?
