Pika (political science and international relations, U. of Delaware) and Maltese (American government and constitutional law, U. of Georgia) present the highly revised 7th edition of this book discussing the political office of U.S. president, how expectations of presidents have altered severely since the days of Lyndon B. Johnson (resulting in a less-than-perfect reputation for virtually every president from then on), the roles of character and policy in the office, and the realizations of those roles by recent presidents, particularly George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The authors analyze the evolution of the presidency; presidential relations with the public in electoral politics and governing; relations with the political, judicial, and bureaucratic establishments; and how presidents form and implement policies. The final section is focused on the most recent Bush's handling of wartime challenges at home and abroad, as well as recent Supreme Court appointments, among other topics. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)