“First Lady But Second Fiddle” or the rise and rejection of the political couple in the White House: 1933-today.
The First Lady has emerged as an institution of great influence. Whether out in the open like Hillary Clinton or behind the scenes like Nancy Reagan, most First Ladies have served as their husbands’ most trusted and closest political allies. Thus the modern era has seen the advent of the presidential couple, as symbolically epitomized in the 1990s' neologism “Billary.” It seems, however, that the American public is not ready to accept power-sharing in the White House and that the First Lady, visible and influential though she might be, should not play the role of a co-president. A number of feminists simply propose to “abolish” her.
The presidential companion : readings on the first ladies
Bringing together the work of notable historians, political scientists, and sociologists, this text offers a collection of essays that demonstrate the political relevance of first ladies throughout U.S. history and the dramatic expansion of their power during the 20th century. With a preface by Hillary Clinton's former chief of staff, Melanne Verveer, this anthology attempts to fill a gap in scholarship about the position of first lady and reveals the political acumen and activism of a number of the unofficial office holders. The contributors reveal how the office has grown in political influence, from Martha Washington's selection of furnishings for the presidential mansion to Hillary Rodham Clinton's leadership of the President's Task Force on National Health Care Reform. They offer chapters on presidential wives who have changed the nature of the office of first lady and which explore issues that have affected the first ladies' use of the bully pulpit. The book underscores the notion that an understanding of presidential spouses is central to the study of the American presidency. At the same time the volume dispels the myth that Eleanor Roosevelt and her successors have been the only presidential spouses to make significant public and political contributions to the nation.
See How They Ran: The Changing Role of the Presidential Candidate
Troy examines every presidential campaign from 1840 to the 1988. He describes the various tactics employed by candidates, the public's reaction to them, and the way presidential campaigns shape and are shaped by public opinion and the political climate.