The Death of the Tranformational Presidency?

Abstract

Political scientist Stephen Skowronek defines transformational presidents as those who altered the political system and the nation. Voters’ dissatisfaction with Barack Obama, the backlash evident in the election of Donald Trump and analysis of his presidency thus far raises two important questions. Firstly, can there be a transformational presidency in the twenty-first century? Secondly, have transformational presidential elections replaced the transformational presidency? Utilizing news media sources, this article demonstrates that the twenty-first century can best be described as the era of post-nationalism, with globalization providing a check on presidential power. It is now nearly impossible for a transformational candidate to become a transformational president.