Changes

5. Dunn, C.W. (2007) <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008VRR8G8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008VRR8G8&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=40701d998d18ed3c10644ceed9a2c230 The Seven Laws of Presidential Leadership: An Introduction to the American Presidency]</i>. Upper Saddle River, N.J, Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Dunn has analyzed presidents throughout US history and has concluded there are seven fundamental laws that drive presidential leadership, including its perception by the public and other politicians. These are the law of history, the law of rhetoric, the law of theory, the law of culture, the law of character, the law of politics and the law of management. Some of these laws may have changed in their importance but they are still critical to how Americans often remember and value their presidents.

Wars have been stages for the president to lead the country. In the Civil War, Lincoln had to convince the public that the Civil War was in the nation's interest even as the effort went badly and he only just managed to do that with some timely battlefield victories. In recent wars, including Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, victory has been harder to define and the public's expectation has shifted where the wars were harder to argue as being part of the nation's interest. Conflicts have largely had negative effects on presidential powers in the last few decades and more risk than benefit, damaging public opinion and limiting the larger domestic and international agendas presidents have attempted to press.