This article reviews recent research on how mass opinion affects policy making in the
context of US national institutions. Three themes materialize. First, research provides …

Thoughts travel faster and farther through cyberspace where people interact with one
another regardless of limitations in language, space, and time. Is a poll sufficient to measure …

Unilateral power is an important source of policy change for contemporary presidents. In
contrast with scholarship that examines the institutional constraints on presidents' exercise …

The presidency is now thought of as a representative institution. I argue that the idea of
presidential representation, the claim that presidents represent the whole nation, influenced …

Many assume that modern presidents cannot persuade cross‐ideologues to support their
policy proposals. The idea that a conservative would support a liberal policy advocated by a …

Research suggests that the ability of the president to influence public attention to issues and
shape public opinion is limited. Recently, presidential efforts at persuasion have expanded …

George W. Bush's presidency provides a fertile ground to further develop the standard
model of presidential approval. In contrast to the vast presidential approval literature, early …

Bringing together a host of distinguished scholars, Michael Nelson's The Elections of 2016
reliably delivers a nuanced analysis of yet another momentous cycle of political contests. No …

Though presidents often criticize organized interests, presidents also expend considerable
effort engaging them. Using original elite interviews, a survey of lobbyists, and administrative …

When black Americans and white Americans want the president to do different things, who
wins? When low-income earners prefer different government action than do middle and high …