Partner to Power

The Secret World of Presidents and Their Most Trusted Advisers

K. Ward Cummings

• Publisher: Prometheus
• Year: 2018
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• eBook ISBN:
  9781633883161
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: Politics & International Relations

A former congressional staffer and Capitol Hill veteran recounts the colorful history of presidential advisers, showing how influential these unelected appointees have been. This revealing book examines the relationships between U.S. presidents and their closest advisers from a psychological, personal, and professional point of view. The author, a Capitol Hill veteran, shows why such relationships are necessary, how presidents have employed them, how they have evolved over successive administrations, and why some believe they are not in the best interests of the nation. Cummingsdescribes relationships that have sometimes been tense, such as the fractious association between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton; or complicated, as seen in the often-troubled understanding between Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton; or controversial, as in the influence of Vice President Dick Cheney on the decision making of George W. Bush. There have also been close friendships, such as the bond between Abraham Lincoln and William Seward; the long-term partnership of Franklin Roosevelt and Louis Howe; and, more recently, the trusting reliance of Barack Obama on Valerie Jarrett. Whether their connection with presidents was close or strained, these "partners to power" had an impact on some of history's most important moments and decisions. Full of interesting vignettes, insights, and little-known facts, this is a fascinating insider's account of the exercise of power at the highest levels.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• CONTENTS
• Author’s Note: How to Read This Book
• Introduction
• Prologue: William McKinley & George Cortelyou
• Chapter ONE: George Washington & Alexander Hamilton
• Chapter TWO: Abraham Lincoln & William Seward
• Chapter THREE: Woodrow Wilson & Edward House
• Chapter FOUR: Franklin Roosevelt & Louis Howe
• Chapter FIVE: Harry Truman & Clark Clifford
• Chapter SIX: Dwight Eisenhower & Sherman Adams
• Chapter SEVEN: Ronald Reagan & “The Troika”
• Chapter EIGHT: Bill Clinton & Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Chapter NINE: George W. Bush & Dick Cheney
• Epilogue: Reconsidering the Vice President
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Index