The American Presidency Second Edition Author:James W. Davis This is a thoroughly revised, in-depth analysis of the American presidency by a major scholar in the field. The main goal of the text is to explain how the president's ability to implement policy is circumscribed by several major factors: the Madisonian separation of powers; the decentralized power structure in Congress; the number of cross-part... more »y coalitions needed to pass legislation; a slow-moving federal bureaucracy; and the powerful influence of special interest groups opposed to many presidential initiatives« less