From the editor - Editorial

This issue--the first of Volume 3--marks the third year of publication of White House Studies. While I am admittedly biased, I believe the first two volumes produced a number of notable achievements such as providing readers with essays on historic presidential sites, publishing the work of several leading scholars in the field, and publishing articles and commentary on a wide variety of interesting and important topics. The lion's share of the feedback received by the editorial office of the journal, however, pertained to the two special issues we released. These two issues--one on the challenge of electing a woman president (Volume 1, Number 3), another on the legacy of Abraham Lincoln (Volume 2, Number 1)--appear to have been highlights of the initial two volumes

It is thus with much enthusiasm that I introduce this issue. One of the most interesting and controversial topics in the field, and the subject within our discipline receiving arguably the most coverage by the media (and, sadly, most likely the one followed closest by occupants of the Oval Office), is that of rating the presidents. Ever since 1948 when Life magazine published the first presidential rating poll, conducted by the eminent historian Arthur Schlesinger, we have been hooked on the idea of ranking our presidents. A number of ratings have appeared over the years, and our interest in them (and at times our criticism of' them) has not diminished.

This topic was the focus of a recent conference at Hofstra University that attracted the leading voices in the field. In the hands of two capable scholars--Meena Bose of the United States Military Academy and Mark L. Landis of Hofstra University--the presentations and discussions from that conference have been collected and compiled for this special issue. It has been a pleasure to work with both Meena and Mark, and I congratulate them on producing such a noteworthy issue.

The issue features prominent presidential scholars who have participated in the ratings and whose work on the practice of rating the presidents remains as the most important in the field. I am confident readers will agree with me that a more impressive collection of presidential scholars could not be convened. And I am confident you will enjoy as much as I have the words, wisdom, and insights of James P. Pfiffner, Stephen J. Wayne, Tim H. Blessing, Alvin S. Felzenberg, Richard M. Pious, James MacGregor Burns, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., and Fred I. Greenstein!

Robert P. Watson Editor

COPYRIGHT 2003 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group