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Foreign Policy and Presidential Popularity

Author

Listed:
  • Robin F. Marra

    (Southern Methodist University)

  • Charles W. Ostrom Jr.

    (Michigan State University)

  • Dennis M. Simon

    (Southern Methodist University)

Abstract

Variations in public support for the president have been explained in three different ways. First, approval has been viewed as controlled by the law of inevitable decline. Second, public support has been characterized as a function of an “environmental connection†between chief executives and macrofeatures of the political and economic landscape. Finally, some view “political drama†(e.g., speeches, trips, diplomatic agreements, and so on) as an important role in determining the popularity of the president. The present analysis offers a comprehensive model of public support for the president which draws on all three explanations and partitions the presidentially relevant factors into domestic and foreign policy subsets. The comprehensive model is operationalized and estimated using 573 Gallup presidential approval polls from January 1949 through December 1984. Empirical analysis demonstrated that factors derived from all three explanations contribute to the prediction of public support. In addition, the analysis evaluated the relative impact of domestic and foreign influences and located potential levers that presidents might pull to influence this popular support.

Suggested Citation

  • Robin F. Marra & Charles W. Ostrom Jr. & Dennis M. Simon, 1990. "Foreign Policy and Presidential Popularity," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 34(4), pages 588-623, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jocore:v:34:y:1990:i:4:p:588-623
    DOI: 10.1177/0022002790034004002
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ragsdale, Lyn, 1984. "The Politics of Presidential Speechmaking, 1949-1980," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 78(4), pages 971-984, December.
    2. Ostrom, Charles W. & Job, Brian L., 1986. "The President and the Political Use of Force," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 80(2), pages 541-566, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastian Garmann, 2017. "Electoral cycles in public administration decisions: evidence from German municipalities," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(5), pages 712-723, May.

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