According to Clinton Rossiter, a successful President is one who can use his great power to become a strong, able and popular leader. A great example of a man who fits the definition by Rossiter is the 34th President of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower. The President is not simply the leader of the country but is required to be a leader of many different groups within the country. Eisenhower understood the importance of leading these groups as Rossiter suggested. First and foremost, the President is the chief executive and as such, he is the executive branch leader. Although being the chief executive does include performing many mundane tasks, Eisenhower took one detail very seriously, the duty to appoint the right men for the right jobs
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According to Rossiter, “The President is leader of the forces of peace and war.” (Rossiter 260) Eisenhower, a five-star general and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces before becoming President, had considerable military expertise, as this quote displays, “Ike knew more than anybody else about the armed forces, and as much as anybody else about foreign policy. In no area was his judgment sounder, or more respected, and his decisions more critical.” (Korda 676) This expertise lent itself to Eisenhower being regarded as a leader of not only the United States but the free-world as well. In an era where foreign policy dominated much of the President’s attention, it was a relief that Ike already had established relationships with world leaders such as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the French leader Charles de Gaulle. It was these relationships that allowed Eisenhower to deftly handle troublesome issues such as Korea, China, French war in Indochina and the developing nuclear arms race, to name a few. As mentioned earlier by Rossiter, not only is the President the leader of the forces of war, but also the forces of peace. Eisenhower displayed his leadership ability in single-handedly forcing China back to the negotiating table to sign an armistice. Eisenhower made sure the Chinese understood that if they did not make …show more content…
Eisenhower’s success was built upon being the leader of three things that Rossiter has included in his framework of a successful President. Eisenhower effectively lead the executive branch, forces of peace and war, and public opinion. Ike laid the foundation for a great administration by taking his responsibility as leader of the executive branch to appoint qualified cabinet secretaries. With the President’s extensive military background, one might have expected him to be a war hawk. However, Ike was the exact opposite and as the country’s military leader he tactfully threatened the use of force to create peace in world conflicts. Lastly, the President used his unique power as leader of public opinion to quell the nation’s unanimous uproar over the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik. Instead of making an impulsive decision, Eisenhower led the country’s opinion towards supporting programs such as NASA, thus saving the country from engaging in unnecessary international
According to Rossiter, “The President is leader of the forces of peace and war.” (Rossiter 260) Eisenhower, a five-star general and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces before becoming President, had considerable military expertise, as this quote displays, “Ike knew more than anybody else about the armed forces, and as much as anybody else about foreign policy. In no area was his judgment sounder, or more respected, and his decisions more critical.” (Korda 676) This expertise lent itself to Eisenhower being regarded as a leader of not only the United States but the free-world as well. In an era where foreign policy dominated much of the President’s attention, it was a relief that Ike already had established relationships with world leaders such as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the French leader Charles de Gaulle. It was these relationships that allowed Eisenhower to deftly handle troublesome issues such as Korea, China, French war in Indochina and the developing nuclear arms race, to name a few. As mentioned earlier by Rossiter, not only is the President the leader of the forces of war, but also the forces of peace. Eisenhower displayed his leadership ability in single-handedly forcing China back to the negotiating table to sign an armistice. Eisenhower made sure the Chinese understood that if they did not make …show more content…
Eisenhower’s success was built upon being the leader of three things that Rossiter has included in his framework of a successful President. Eisenhower effectively lead the executive branch, forces of peace and war, and public opinion. Ike laid the foundation for a great administration by taking his responsibility as leader of the executive branch to appoint qualified cabinet secretaries. With the President’s extensive military background, one might have expected him to be a war hawk. However, Ike was the exact opposite and as the country’s military leader he tactfully threatened the use of force to create peace in world conflicts. Lastly, the President used his unique power as leader of public opinion to quell the nation’s unanimous uproar over the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik. Instead of making an impulsive decision, Eisenhower led the country’s opinion towards supporting programs such as NASA, thus saving the country from engaging in unnecessary international