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A president’s work is defined by two challenges: knowing what to do and finding the time to do it. While the first of these has commanded extensive attention, the second has received little to none—until now.
The President’s Day is a groundbreaking study of the history, theory, and practice of modern presidential time management. Matthew N. Beckmann argues that the seemingly innocuous task of scheduling turns out to be anything but. In choosing what and who will fill their time, presidents determine their value, define their role, and drive their agenda. Combining extensive archival research with interviews spanning administrations from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush, Beckmann exposes each president’s signature pattern in terms of when to work, how long to work, how much to pack in, what to prioritize, and whom to see along the way. In these ways, The President’s Day demystifies what John F. Kennedy called “the secret of the presidential enterprise.”
— Frances E. Lee, Princeton University
There is so much to like about this book. It is like being able to see inside the West Wing every day. What a rich and interesting portrait of the presidency we rarely get to see.
— David E. Lewis, Vanderbilt University
This is a fantastic work of scholarship. Beckmann delivers the most rigorous and detailed look ever assembled at what presidents actually do, minute by minute. He reminds us that though presidents have vast powers and make monumental decisions, they are still humans who need time to eat, sleep, and think.
— Kenneth Lowande, University of Michigan
Who did presidents meet, and when did they meet them? Using hard-won systematic new data and innovative analysis, this book tells us that and much more. Beckmann pulls off an impressive double-act: a richer, rigorous understanding of both individual and institutional influences on the daily workings of the presidency
— Andrew Rudalevige, Bowdoin College
The President’s Day is by far the most substantial quantitative investigation of presidents' work habits, organized around the two central activities that presidents engage in—thinking and speaking. Written in Beckmann’s lively, accessible style, the book gives us our clearest picture of what presidents actually do, why, and with what effect.
— Paul J. Quirk, University of British Columbia
Extraordinarily interesting...an excellent, original, and deeply interesting work.
— Daniel E. Ponder, Drury University
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Time, People, and Process
2. Jimmy Versus Ronnie
3. Making Time
4. Filling Time
5. Nixon, Man Versus Model
6. Everyday Leadership
Appendix A: The Daily Diary, 1961–2008
Appendix B: Sampling Design and Detail
Appendix C: Coding and Data
Notes
Bibliography
Index