THE RHETORICAL PRESIDENCY AND THE ECLIPSE OF EXECUTIVE POWER - WILSON,WOODROW CONSTITUTIONAL-GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED-STATES

This essay challenges the common assumption that Woodrow Wilson's exal tation of presidential political power carried with it an affirmation of executive power, by recovering his novel conception of opinion lead ership. Wilson sought to transform the presidential office by emphasiz ing opinion leadership and downplaying executive power. He thought tha t reshaping the presidency into an office for opinion leadership would raise the United States toward a new, more advanced stage of represen tative government. Overlooking Wilson's attempt to demote executive ac tion has led political scientists to underestimate his originality, mi sunderstand his conception of progress, and narrow the scope of his re form project.