The Reagan Effect: Economics and Presidential Leadership (review)

116 Rhetoric & Public Affairs Jeffrey Tulis's response concludes the book. WhUe the essay is strong, Tulis does not truly come to grips with the central question that undergirds the argument of the book: What do we mean by presidential rhetoric? Tulis tends to define rhetoric rather strictly as the president himself speaking to an audience. In that sense, TR and WUson are indeed key figures and scholars should continue to explicate their practices and thought. If, however, rhetoric is broader than that notion—if we take the view that through written messages, through campaign speeches, through newspapers , and through ritual and rite, presidents found rhetorical ways to empower their office, then we need to pay far more attention to the nineteenth century presidents . In an interesting way, the latter position also suggests a fascinating convergence between what might be caUed premodern and postmodern presidents. Rhetorical performance of the office might not require direct, rational public speech. The Rhetorical Presidency in Historical Perspective suggests that Abraham Lincoln and BiU Clinton may have more in common than we knew. John Murphy University of Georgia The Reagan Effect: Economics and Presidential Leadership. By John W. Sloan. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1999; pp xii + 316. $35.00 cloth. Although the Reagan presidency yielded extensive scholarship, most of it was executed during or shortly after Ronald Reagan left office. John Sloan attempts to forward an analysis of the Reagan presidency, especiaUy its economic policy, with the benefit of time and hindsight. For the most part, Sloan succeeds in accomplishing his task. Upon reflection, and with improved facts, Reagan is positioned somewhere between the idealized figure Republicans would have us adore and the happy-go-lucky materialist liberals would have us deplore. Sloan credits the Reagan presidency's "rhetorical commitments" (5) as a key to its success. His staunch antiCommunist stance "provided him with the freedom to negotiate a new and a more meaningful détente with the Soviet Union" (9) which he managed using a strong ideological position as a cover for implementing flexible policy. Foreign policy notwithstanding, the author is correct in arguing that the focus of the Reagan presidency was economic policy. The question is: Was Reagan successful in his economic policy making? Sloan argues that indeed Reagan was successful. Sloan believes that Reagan's personality and inteUigence impacted his presidency far more—and to better effect—than his detractors would have us believe, and that these qualities need to be factored into a contemporary assessment of his presidency. Reagan, the author argues, benefited from the faüure of the Carter presidency , from the Democrats' ineffective opposition, his own political independence despite his conservative ideology, the service of talented advisers, a very successful first year, and a significant müitary buildup. Reagan's blunders and mishaps— Book Reviews 117 recession and saving and loan crises—though serious, were absorbed by his overaU successes. The author devotes too many pages, however, to incendiary issues such as Skowronek's explanation of the faüures of the Carter presidency and the 1970s as background for understanding Reagan. The context for the Reagan presidency is weU-known and fewer pages would suffice. The lengthy discussion on the history of saving and loan institutions and the ensuing crisis is simply unnecessary. The author also engages in meaningless statements such as "Carter was less incompetent than he appeared, but that evaluation is reminiscent of those who claim that Wagner's music is better than it sounds" (51). Sloan is better when he rationalizes causes and effects of Reagan's economic policy. For example, whUe many accused Reagan of causing more social and economic inequalities, the author forwards the context for growing inequality since the 1970s and points to the overaU transformation of the U.S. economy prior to Reagan's arrival in the White House. Reagan's economic success is attributed to several factors: His abüity to lead and unite multiple sects of the conservative movement whUe maintaining broad public support, his abüity to be more of a poUtician than an ideologue, and his abüity to articulate conservative ideals despite his more pragmatic policy making. Reagan's so-caUed "detached leadership style" was actuaUy...