Intellectuals and the American Presidency: Philosophers, Jesters, or Technicians?

From Arthur Schlesinger’s work in John Kennedy’s campaign and administration to Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s role as the Democrat in the Nixon White House, through Sidney Blumenthal’s effort to secure intellectual support for a scandal-plagued Bill Clinton, every president since 1960 has had to address the question of intellectual support. In this bipartisan study, Tevi Troy analyzes how American presidents have used intellectuals to shape their images and advance their agendas. Using both popular sources and archive material, this book looks at the advisers who served as liaisons to the academic community, as well as the president’s views of intellectuals and how they fit with the president’s agenda. Through an analysis of the intellectuals’ strengths and weaknesses, Tevi Troy examines how intellectuals create, nurture and bring ideas into the public policy realm.