George C. Edwards III

{{BLP unreferenced section|date=November 2022}}

Edwards was born in Rochester, New York, in 1947 and moved with his family to Florida in 1959. He received his B.A. from Stetson University (1969) and his M.A. (1970) and Ph.D. (1973) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also has an honorary M.A. from the University of Oxford.

He taught at Tulane University from 1973 to 1978 before moving to Texas A&M University in 1978.

He was the founder and from 1991 to 2001 the director of The Center for Presidential Studies. From 1998 until 2022 he was editor of Presidential Studies Quarterly.{{Cite web|url=http://psqjournal.com/psq/|title = Presidential Studies Quarterly – PSQ Journal}} He is also general editor of the Oxford Handbook of American Politics.{{Cite web|url=http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/category/academic/series/politics/ohap.do|title = Oxford Handbooks - Oxford University Press}} He is currently University Distinguished Professor and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies Emeritus at Texas A&M University and Distinguished Fellow at the University of Oxford.

Edwards has held a number of visiting appointments, including:

• 2017, Warden's Visitor, Nuffield College, University of Oxford
• 2012–13, John Winant Professor of American Government and professorial fellow, Balliol College, University of Oxford
• 2009, Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford
• 2008, Chercheur Invité, Sciences Po, Paris
• 2005–06, Olin Professor of American Government and professorial fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford
• 2002–03, John Adams Fellow, School of Advanced Studies, University of London
• 1997, Professor of political science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• 1993, Professor of political science, Peking University, Beijing
• 1985–88, Professor of social sciences, U.S. Military Academy, West Point

He has advised Brazil on its constitution and the operation of its presidency, Russia on building a democratic national party system, Mexico on elections, and Chinese scholars on democracy. He also wrote studies for the 1988, 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2020 U.S. presidential transitions and was instrumental in bringing the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum to Texas A&M University's campus.

Edwards's principal focus has been the American presidency. This work has focused on several themes. First, He pioneered the quantitative study of the presidency with Presidential Influence in Congress, the first quantitative study of the presidency{{cite book|last1=Edwards|first1=George C.|title=Presidential Influence in Congress|url=https://archive.org/details/presidentialinfl00edwa|url-access=registration|date=1980|publisher=W.H. Freeman|isbn=0716711621|ref=3}} and has edited three volumes on theory and methods of researching the presidency: The Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency;{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |last2=Howell |first2=William G. |title=The Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=9780199238859 |url=https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34360}} Researching the Presidency;{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |last2=Kessel |first2=John H. |last3=Rockman |first3=Bert A. |title=Researching the Presidency: Vital Questions, New Approaches |date=1993 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press |location=Pittsburgh, PA |isbn=9780822954941 |url=https://upittpress.org/books/9780822954941/}} and Studying the Presidency.{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |last2=Wayne |first2=Stephen J. |title=Studying the Presidency |date=1983 |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |location=Knoxville, TN |isbn=0870493787}}

His second focus has been presidential leadership in Congress. He has written that presidents are highly dependent on the strategic position in which they find themselves and can only influence Congress at the margins.{{cite book|last1=Edwards III|first1=George C.|title=At the Margins: Presidential Leadership of Congress|date=1989|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=0300044046|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/atmarginspreside00edwa}} Edwards has also written widely on the president's relations with the public, particularly their efforts to lead public opinion. He has reported that presidents are rarely able to move the public in their direction. Despite all their efforts, their words typically fall on deaf ears.{{cite book|last1=Edwards III|first1=George C.|title=On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit|url=https://archive.org/details/ondeafearslimits00edwa|url-access=registration|date=2003|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=0300115814|ref=6}}

In recent years, he has fashioned his empirical findings into a theory of presidential leadership that challenges the view that presidential power is the power to persuade. Instead, he argues, presidential power is the power to recognize and exploit opportunities. In other words, presidents cannot create opportunities for change and must understand and take advantage of whatever possibilities for change already exist.{{cite book|last1=Edwards III|first1=George C.|title=The Strategic President: Persuasion and Opportunity in Presidential Leadership|date=2009|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=9780691154367| url=https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691154367/the-strategic-president}}{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |title=Predicting the Presidency: The Potential of Persuasive Leadership |date=2016 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, NJ |isbn=9780691170374 |url=https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691170374/predicting-the-presidency}} In early 2009, he predicted the problems President Barack Obama would face, despite the declarations of many insiders the new president would transform the political landscape and thus pave the way for major changes in policy. He confirmed these predictions in two books.{{cite book|last1=Edwards III|first1=George C.|title=Overreach: Leadership in the Obama Presidency|date=2012|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=9780691153681|url=https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691170374/predicting-the-presidencyref=8}} In 2016, he predicted that despite his reputed promotional and negotiating skills, Donald Trump would not succeed in persuading either the public or Congress to follow his lead, which his subsequent research confirmed.{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |title=Changing Their Minds? Donald Trump and Presidential Leadership |date=2021 |publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0226775814|url=https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo87889496.html}}

He has also written on reforming the Electoral College and has written and spoken widely on the subject.{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |title=Why the Electoral College Is Bad for America, 3rd ed. |date=2019 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven, CT |isbn=9780300243888 |edition=3 |url=https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300243888/why-electoral-college-bad-america}} He also was among the first authors to devote attention to implementing public policy, especially the president's role as chief executive.{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |title=Implementing Public Policy |date=1980 |publisher=Congressional Quarterly Press |location=Washington, DC|isbn= 0871871556 }} Most recently, Edwards tackled the area of decision making, arguing that presidents and other top officials often make disastrous decisions because they are prisoners of faulty premises.{{cite book |last1=Edwards III |first1=George |title=Prisoners of Their Premises How Unexamined Assumptions Lead to War and Other Policy Debacles |date=2022 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago|isbn= 978-0226822822 |url=https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo182613857.html}}

• [https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo182613857.html Prisoners of Their Premises: How Unexamined Assumptions Lead to War and Other Policy Debacles] (Chicago, 2022).
• [https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo87889496.html Changing Their Minds? Donald Trump and Presidential Leadership] (Chicago, 2021).
• [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10751.html Predicting the Presidency: The Potential of Persuasive Leadership] (Princeton, 2016).
• [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9690.html Overreach: Leadership in the Obama Presidency] (Princeton, 2012).
• [https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300243888/why-electoral-college-bad-america Why the Electoral College Is Bad for America, 3rd ed.] (Yale, 2019).
• [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8891.html The Strategic President: Persuasion and Opportunity in Presidential Leadership] (Princeton, 2009).
• [http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199238859.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199238859 The Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency] (Oxford, 2009), co-editor.
• [http://www.pearsonelt.ch/HigherEducation/Longman/1471/9780205529629/Governing-by-Campaigning-The-Politics-of.aspx Governing by Campaigning: The Politics of the Bush Presidency], 2nd ed. (Longman, 2007).
• [http://yalebooks.com/book/9780300115819/deaf-ears On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit] (Yale, 2003).
• [http://www.upress.pitt.edu/BookDetails.aspx?bookId=34439 Researching the Presidency] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182106/http://www.upress.pitt.edu/BookDetails.aspx?bookId=34439 |date=2014-07-14 }} (Pittsburgh, 1993).
• [https://www.amazon.com/Presidential-Approval-Professor-George-Edwards/dp/0801840856/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400101946&sr=8-1&keywords=presidential+approval+george+edwards Presidential Approval] (Johns Hopkins, 1990).
• [http://yalebooks.com/book/9780300048995/margins At the Margins: Presidential Leadership of Congress] (Yale, 1989).
• [https://www.amazon.com/Implementing-public-policy-Politics/dp/0871871556/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400103146&sr=1-1&keywords=implementing+public+policy+george+edwards Implementing Public Policy] (Congressional Quarterly Press, 1980).

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.georgecedwardsiii.com/ Home Page]
• [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/03/19/120319fa_fact_klein?currentPage=all Ezra Klein, "The Unpersuaded," New Yorker, March 19, 2012.]
• {{cite web |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |title=Was Donald Trump a Great Persuader While in Office? |url=https://www.smerconish.com/exclusive-content/was-donald-trump-a-great-persuader-while-in-office/ |website=Smerconish.com|date=13 January 2022 }}
• NPR Interview on the George W. Bush Presidency, January 7, 2009: {{cite web |last1=Edwards III |first1=George C. |title=Undecided We Stand: Debating Bush's Legacy |website=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2009/01/07/99059614/undecided-we-stand-debating-bushs-legacy}}
• [http://www.c-span.org/video/?183614-1/eliminating-electoral-college Lecture on the Electoral College on C-Span, 21 Sept. 2004.]

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Category:1947 births

Category:American male writers

Category:Fellows of Nuffield College, Oxford

Category:Living people

Category:Stetson University alumni

Category:Texas A&M University faculty

Category:Tulane University faculty

Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni

Category:Writers from Rochester, New York