Modern presidents are usually depicted as party ""predators"" who neglect their parties, exploit them for personal advantage, or undercut their organizational capacities. Challenging this view, Presidential Party Building demonstrates that every Republican president since Dwight D. Eisenhower worked to build his party into a more durable political organization while every Democratic president refused to do the same. Yet whether they supported their party or stood in its way, each president contributed to the distinctive organizational trajectories taken by the two parties in the modern era.
A theory of presidential party building -- Building a modern Republican Party: Dwight D. Eisenhower -- Building the new majority: Richard Nixon -- The politics of addition: Gerald R. Ford -- Building the Republican base: Ronald Reagan -- Leveling the playing field: George H.W. Bush -- Operation support: John F. Kennedy -- The president's club: Lyndon B. Johnson -- Alternative priorities: Jimmy Carter -- Culmination and reversal: Bill Clinton -- Conclusion: presidents, parties, and the political system.
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