Picking presidents How to make the most consequential decision in the world

Gautam Mukunda

Book - 2022

"This book synthesizes a new way of understanding leader selection with research from political science, management, psychology, and other fields, to provide an objective, non-partisan way to evaluate Presidential candidates that anyone can use and that requires only information about candidates that would be widely available before the election. It's a system that American citizens can use to answer the most important question they are ever asked: Should this person be President? We begin by identifying what sort of presidential candidates are likely to become Presidents who will make a real difference. Surprisingly, not all Presidents do. Some, despite the awesome power placed in their hands, are surprisingly inconsequential. Th...en, we'll examine some of the best and worst of the 44 members of history's most exclusive club, which will help us understand what traits are likely to produce failed and successful presidencies, and how to detect them. Next, we'll use this lens to examine Donald Trump, the modern president who has perhaps inflamed the most intense passions on either end of the political spectrum, and Joe Biden, the President as this book goes to print. Finally, I will suggest some plausible reforms to the way we nominate candidates and changes to the powers of the Presidency that might help us improve the quality and performance of future presidents"-- more