• Exhibit Introduction

• The Prize:
  The Power of the Presidency

• The Candidates:
  Party Conventions

• The Chase:
  Political Campaigning

• The Image:
  Marketing the Candidates

• The Choice:
  Election Day

• The Coronation:
  Inaugurating the President

• Related resources:
  
  • Election results 1900-1944
  • Election results 1948-2000
  • 1948 Election
  • Teacher Lesson Plans

• Back to the
  Truman Library Home Page

THE PRIZE:
The Power of the Presidency

Article Two of the Constitution defines the duties and responsibilities of the President. While it is often said that the President is the most powerful person in the world, the Constitutional protections and the separation of powers among the three branches of government often limit the President's direct authority.

Theodore Roosevelt called the Presidency a "bully pulpit" from which to persuade and cajole others into following his will.

The physical symbols of the "bully pulpit" are the White House and the Oval Office, which represent the very center of American power. The person who occupies this house and this office lays claim to the right to set the nation's agenda for the next four years. It is a powerful motive for enduring a long and costly election campaign.