This study is a revision of my doctoral dissertation written at the University of Virginia. As a student of the American presidency I became interested in how presidential leadership is defined, analyzed and assessed. Students of the presidency spend a great deal of time studying leadership theory and debating the merits of different measures of leadership "success." These students draw inspiration for their ideas from noted presidency scholars such as Edward S. Corwin, Clinton Rossiter, and Richard Neustadt.

Mark J. Rozell

Preface -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Early Evaluations -- 3 Carter's First Year: 1977 -- 4 Carter's Second Year: 1978 -- 5 Carter's Third Year: 1979 -- 6 Carter's Final Year: 1980 -- 7 White House Communications Advisers' Perceptions of Presidential Leadership -- 8 Conclusion: Evaluating the Evaluators.