Creating Opportunities? Bipartisanship in the Early Obama Presidency
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Objective: I investigate whether it was possible for President Obama to create an opportunity for change by obtaining bipartisan support for his initiatives. Methods: I analyze the theoretical prospects for Republican support and then examine the president's level of success in obtaining it. Results: I find the president rarely received bipartisan support and that his efforts to obtain it were costly. Conclusion: The president, like all presidents, could not create opportunities for change. Instead, he was dependent on exploiting the opportunities presented by those disposed to support his initiatives. 2012 by the Southwestern Social Science Association.