Editors
| Editor: | BYRON E. SHAFER, University of Wisconsin, Madison |
|---|---|
| Co-Editor: | RAYMOND J. LA RAJA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
| Book Review Editor: | NICOL RAE, Florida International University |
| Editorial Assistant: | AMBER WICHOWSKY, University of Wisconsin, Madison |
Current Issue: Volume 7, Issue 1
(2009)
The Obama Administration: Setting Up a Government
Introduction
This issue of The Forum brings a focus on elements shaping the new presidential administration. One cluster of articles concentrates on key influences going into the Obama Administration: Wendy Cho and James Gimpel on the differential influences from an economic meltdown; Charles O. Jones on the place of prior political experiences; Todd Estes on lessons from the beginnings of the Clinton Administration; Casey Dominquez on the mandate and the honeymoon; and Matt Grossman on the interest group environment. A second cluster of articles considers the new administration as it moves forward: Fred Greenstein on key strengths and weaknesses that Barack Obama brings to the job; Sidney Milkis and Jesse Rhodes on the interaction of this president with his own party; Dennis Thompson on the fortunes of his proposed ethics initiatives; Sheldon Goldman on his potential place in the politics of judicial selection; Steve Schier on institutional evolution, regime structure, and available skills, and David Magleby, Bradley Jones, and David Lassen on the shifting environment for campaign finance. In the book reviews, John Kenneth White asks about the current political structure as portrayed in Andrew Gelman, Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State, while Bruce Oppenheimer celebrates one of the great analysts and interpreters of American politics, by way of Richard F. Fenno, Jr., Congressional Travels.
We invite our readers to join us for a special online discussion of the articles in this issue on The Monkey Cage, a blog that specializes in informed commentary on political events and topics. We look forward to your comments.
Articles
Presidential Voting and the Local Variability of Economic Hardship
Wendy K. Tam Cho and James G. Gimpel
The Legitimacy of Inexperience: Leadership from Outside
Charles O. Jones
Mandates, Honeymoons, and the Obama Administration
Casey B. K. Dominguez
Who Gets What Now? Interest Groups under Obama
Matt Grossmann
The Leadership Style of Barack Obama: An Early Assessment
Fred I. Greenstein
Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, and the Future of the "New American Party System"
Sidney M. Milkis and Jesse H. Rhodes
Obama's Ethics Agenda: The Challenge of Coordinated Change
Dennis F. Thompson
Obama and the Federal Judiciary: Great Expectations but Will He Have a Dickens of a Time Living up to Them?
Sheldon Goldman
Understanding the Obama Presidency
Steven E. Schier
Turning the Tables: Individual Contributions, Member Contributions, and the Changing Campaign Finance Environment
David B. Magleby, Bradley Jones, and David Lassen
Reviews
Review of Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State: Why Americans Vote the Way They Do
John K. White
Review of Congressional Travels: Places, Connections, and Authenticity
Bruce I. Oppenheimer
