The President's Day

Beckmann offers a unique perspective on presidential leadership. Via close analysis of precisely how and with whom presidents spend their days, we gain fresh insight into the nature of the president's job, the different approaches taken by different presidents, and the collapse of the Nixon presidency during the Watergate scandal. A delight to read, this lively book will be enjoyed by students, general readers, and specialists alike. -- Frances E. Lee, Princeton University
There is so much to like about this book. It is like being able to see inside the West Wing every day. What a rich and interesting portrait of the presidency we rarely get to see. -- David E. Lewis, Vanderbilt University
This is a fantastic work of scholarship. Beckmann delivers the most rigorous and detailed look ever assembled at what presidents actually do, minute by minute. He reminds us that though presidents have vast powers and make monumental decisions, they are still humans who need time to eat, sleep, and think. -- Kenneth Lowande, University of Michigan
Who did presidents meet, and when did they meet them? Using hard-won systematic new data and innovative analysis, this book tells us that and much more. Beckmann pulls off an impressive double-act: a richer, rigorous understanding of both individual and institutional influences on the daily workings of the presidency -- Andrew Rudalevige, Bowdoin College
The President's Day is by far the most substantial quantitative investigation of presidents' work habits, organized around the two central activities that presidents engage in-thinking and speaking. Written in Beckmann's lively, accessible style, the book gives us our clearest picture of what presidents actually do, why, and with what effect. -- Paul J. Quirk, University of British Columbia