QUESTION:

What do you think of the bully pulpit/power of persuasion argument? How much power do you think the President has to influence the public and Congress? Do you tend to agree with Friedman that Obama has failed in his mandate or Dickenson, that he didn't have enough power to succeed? When you compare the modern presidency to the constitutional presidency, and consider the advent of mass media, do you think presidents are more or less powerful today than in the past and how does this power as used through the media and persuasion fit with your ideas about how democracy should work?

Refernce 3 of the 5 articles in your the answer

Read the review of Neustadt's Presidential Power by Michael Nelson

http://chronicle.com/article/Neustadts-Presidential/64816/

Then, read "The Unpersuaded" from the New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/03/19/the-unpersuaded-2

Read "Washington vs the Merciless" - Friedman's take on the passionless Obama

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/opinion/20friedman.html?_r=0

Read Matthew Dickenson's response:

http://sites.middlebury.edu/presidentialpower/2011/03/21/friedman-weighs-in-on-the-passive-president-but-is-he-right/

Look at Obama's speech on gun control from January 5, 2016

http://www.c-span.org/video/?402732-1/president-obama-remarks-gun-control-executive-actions