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In this brief text, eminent scholar Greenstein examines the role the first seven presidents of the U.S. played in establishing the presidency as an institution.

Stefan Fergus - Civilian Reader

Greenstein does an excellent job of providing short biographies of each president covered, as well as placing their presidencies into the context of their times, making this book a no-nonsense guide to the characters of these seven presidents, and an examination of the characteristics that the author believes served them well and poorly during their time in office. An interesting addition to the study of the presidency, I would recommend Inventing the Job of President.

Library Journal

In his career, Greenstein (politics, emeritus, Princeton; The Presidential Difference) has examined the presidency as closely, critically, and convincingly as any recent presidential scholar. He is especially known for scrutinizing strengths and weaknesses in public communication, organizational capacity, political skill, policy vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence. While he has previously analyzed modern U.S. Presidents, here in this concise yet insightful volume he analyzes our first seven leaders, demonstrating effectively their similarities and differences that support his central thesis that, at any given time, it matters who happens to be President. None has had the same personal and political skills. Greenstein's approach, emphasizing particular (and at times rather idiosyncratic) personal strengths and weaknesses, is distinct from Stephen Skowronek's The Politics That Presidents Make, which focuses more on the political environment and the times in which various Presidents served. Greenstein here helps students of the presidency realize that not all Presidents are created equal, and that leadership style clearly matters. VERDICT This latest addition to the Greenstein corpus will find a receptive audience in scholars of the Presidency and those interested in leadership and American political history. Highly recommended.—Stephen K. Shaw, Northwest Nazarene Univ., Nampa, ID

What People Are Saying

Captivating. Inventing the Job of President teaches about the past so that old events take on a contemporary significance. It is a book that introduces readers to the wonders—and good fortune—of this nation's first decades. Greenstein is hands down the best, most careful, and wisest presidential scholar.
— William Ker Muir, Jr., author of "The Bully Pulpit: The Presidential Leadership of Ronald Reagan"

What People Are Saying

An elegant and absorbing analysis of the early presidents and their political styles and how they helped shape this decidedly consequential leadership institution.
— Thomas E. Cronin, Colorado College

What People Are Saying

Fred Greenstein, one of the nation's best-regarded observers of the modern American presidency, has turned his attention to our first seven presidents and renders characteristically succinct and sage judgments on their performance. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to understand how our early presidents invented the job of president.
— Richard J. Ellis, Willamette University

What People Are Saying

How have the American presidents stacked up as individual performers? In his earlier work, Greenstein asked this question of modern presidents. Here, exhibiting the same cool analytic discipline, he applies his lens to the first seven presidents. Yes, the Adamses were bumblers. Jefferson in office went downhill. Washington merits his place on Mount Rushmore. The big surprise is James Monroe, who was pretty good. Another surprise is the sheer variety in these early performances.
— David Mayhew, Yale University

What People Are Saying

In Inventing the Job of President, Greenstein applies to the early republic the insights he developed in his studies of the modern presidency. He assesses the first seven presidents in terms of their abilities to communicate publicly, their skills in managing colleagues and legislators, and the ways in which they handled their own emotions. By such means, Greenstein reminds us of an important matter—that it does matter who is president.
— John Stagg, University of Virginia

What People Are Saying

Valuable and important. Inventing the Job of President will appeal not only to scholars and students but also to general readers interested in the presidency. Greenstein shows that a variety of leadership styles—some that worked well, others that did not—existed among the early presidents. An interesting and thought-provoking work.
— Todd Estes, author of "The Jay Treaty Debate, Public Opinion, and the Evolution of Early American Political Culture"

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents