Beyond the Modern Era?: An Analysis of the Concept of the Postmodern Presidency

Fontaine, Juston Kase

Beyond the Modern Era?: An Analysis of the Concept of the Postmodern Presidency

dc.contributor.author	Fontaine, Juston Kase	en
dc.contributor.committeechair	Hult, Karen M.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Walcott, Charles E.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Luke, Timothy W.	en
dc.contributor.department	Political Science	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-14T20:43:42Z	en
dc.date.adate	2003-08-29	en
dc.date.available	2014-03-14T20:43:42Z	en
dc.date.issued	2003-08-11	en
dc.date.rdate	2003-08-29	en
dc.date.sdate	2003-08-18	en
dc.description.abstract	Over the past two decades, the term postmodern has crept into presidential studies. Despite this, the notion of applying the term to the presidency may obscure more than it reveals. Throughout this period, various political scientists such as Rose, Barilleaux, Schier, Bruce Miroff, and others, as well as communications scholars like Shawn Parry-Giles and Trevor Parry-Giles have merged the term postmodern with the study of the presidency; yet there continues to be no agreement on what exactly the postmodern presidency is or represents. For some, the postmodern presidency signifies a distinct era, fundamentally different from those of the past. For others, the postmodern characteristics and leadership style necessary to govern in a changing political and social landscape define the contemporary presidency. Thus, despite being used for nearly two decades, the term postmodern continues to be mired in ambiguity. With the many differing views that make up the literature of the postmodern presidency, numerous questions arise. Is the onset of the postmodern presidency a result of a fundamental shift in the presidency, occurring regardless of who occupies the Oval Office, or is it better characterized as a shift in the individual traits of presidents necessary to govern during a newly emerging era? Does the core of the postmodern presidency center on foreign policy as a reflection of the end of the Cold War, or can it be better attributed to the rise of public politics, the decline of political parties, and the onslaught of media coverage that surround the contemporary presidency? The following chapters attempt to analyze the concept of the postmodern presidency, comparing the many definitions and timeframes that surround the term as a means of critically examining the existing work on the postmodern presidency.	en
dc.description.degree	Master of Arts	en
dc.identifier.other	etd-08182003-162719	en
dc.identifier.sourceurl	http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08182003-162719/	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34613	en
dc.publisher	Virginia Tech	en
dc.relation.haspart	Appendix.pdf	en
dc.relation.haspart	References.pdf	en
dc.relation.haspart	Thesis.pdf	en
dc.rights	In Copyright	en
dc.rights.uri	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/	en
dc.subject	Clinton	en
dc.subject	U.S. presidency	en
dc.subject	postmodern	en
dc.title	Beyond the Modern Era?: An Analysis of the Concept of the Postmodern Presidency	en
dc.type	Thesis	en
thesis.degree.discipline	Political Science	en
thesis.degree.grantor	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	en
thesis.degree.level	masters	en
thesis.degree.name	Master of Arts	en