Crucible

This essay collection offers analysis from scholars and governmental practitioners concerning a new president's initial year in office. Several of the forty-two essays are the length of newspaper op-eds, but insightful analysis can be found even in the briefest essays. --CHOICE In the view of at least a couple of contributors to this manifold volume, which contains views from across the political spectrum, Donald Trump seems likely to be placed in the same category as Jimmy Carter and Franklin Pierce, both of whom found themselves at the ends of long traditions (the New Deal, Jacksonian democracy). Thus, writes Stephen Skowronek (Yale Univ.), Trump reflects a kind of big-state conservatism, and even if he 'crafted a sui generis political brand, ' the political time 'looks less like a reconstructive moment than a late, shaky, conflicted reinstallment of the conservative regime, ' one in which the opportunities for meaningful leadership will be few and the possibilities of 'politically disastrous disjunction' many.... If 'truly deft, ' concludes the renowned historian Alan Taylor, new presidents henceforth 'will cling to an aura of moderation while securing legislation to deliver on their political philosophy.' --Kirkus Reviews "No other organization can put the presidency and presidential history into context like the Miller Center. The key is that it combines historical analysis with interviews, recordings, and public conversation with those who served and had to make the hard decisions. History is active at the Miller Center, as demonstrated by the First Year Project, which brings the past and the present together to understand what we're going through and ultimately make public policy better." --John Dickerson, Host of Face the Nation This work, aptly titled Crucible, offers an important edited collection on the challenges of a president's first year in office..... Of particular note is the broad range of contributors: not just political scientists but also historians and former administration officials. While several of the pieces concentrate on recent administrations, there is a welcome measure of broader historical context provided by others.... I pondered what single nugget of advice Trump and his associates might have gleaned from this volume had they been able to peruse it starting out. ---- Congress and the Presidency