"William Howell and Terry Moe have long argued in support of a strong presidency. But what happens when we elect someone like Donald Trump to the office? How does that support the argument for a strong presidency? Shouldn't our response be to limit the office? In this book Moe and Howell say no. They open the book by talking about the reason for the rise of Trump and politicians in other countries who have taken advantage of populist dissatisfaction with the response of government to rising economic inequality, the devastation of communities by the loss of jobs due to globalization, the 2008 economic crisis, and increasing immigration. Howell and Moe contend that it is the weaknesses of democratic governments that have led to the election of the likes of Donald Trump. The remedy is to make governments more effective. And the only way to make governments more effective is to strengthen the executive, within strict parameters of law, to actually lead change. They offer their solution as a way to challenge Trump of whom they are critical in the book. They think effective government that can act to deal with the nation's broad social and economic problems is the only way to prevent the election of Trump or his ilk. They argue that presidents have increasingly exercised power but through backdoor means like dubiously legal executive orders, that need to be reined in. They want an effective chief executive but one that acts within the law and publicly"-- Provided by publisher.

The drivers of populist politics --The rise and reign of an American populist -- The persistence of ineffective government -- A presidency for modern times.