The second volume of the Routledge Handbook of Sociological Perspectives on the American Presidency offers a bold and timely examination of the American presidency as a sociopolitical institution shaped by global currents, historical legacies, and evolving modes of leadership.
This handbook, designed for sociologists, political scientists, historians, and other related experts, offers a compelling examination of the American presidency through the framework of sociological theory. Organized into five thematic sections, this volume traverses the terrain of political campaigns, populist resurgence, media spectacle, and the symbolic choreography of presidential performance. It interrogates the influence of celebrity culture, digital technologies, and generational shifts on electoral outcomes and public perception. Beyond U.S. borders, the volume examines the global reverberations of presidential decision-making—from climate diplomacy and migration policy to nuclear tensions and authoritarian entanglements. Featuring comparative analyses of figures such as Trump, Harris, Putin, and Netanyahu, the chapters within this collection situate political leadership within broader sociological frameworks, including institutional theory, rhetorical politics, and transnational governance. It also engages with methodological innovations and critical paradigms that illuminate how individuals and systems navigate power, legitimacy, and resistance.
Grounded in rigorous scholarship and a global perspective, this handbook is an essential resource for understanding the presidency not as a national artifact, but as a dynamic force in shaping contemporary governance, political identity, and global order.