There is considerable disagreement about whether the U.S. president has a direct and measurable influence over the economy. The analysis presented in Economic Actors, Economic Behaviors, and Presidential Leadership: The Constrained Effects of Rhetoric suggests that while presidents have increased their rhetoric regarding the economy, they have not had much success in shaping it. Considering this research, Arthur argues that the president’s decision to address the economy so often must stem from a symbolic placation or institutional necessity that is intended to comfort constituencies or somehow garner electoral advocacy from the party’s base. No other viable explanation exists given the lack of results presidents obtain from discussing the economy and their persistent determination to do so. This discrepancy suggests that presidential rhetoric on the economy is, at best, a tool used to appear concerned to everyone and toe the party-line to their base. Arthur presents an overview of economic rhetoric from the presidential office that will be of interest to scholars of the economy and political communication.

"This work provides empirical evidence to support what many have long suspected: that presidential talks about the economy are just talk. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections." - CHOICE

"[T]his book contributes meaningfully to our growing, if bifurcated, understanding of why and how presidents communicate with their public and what the consequences of these efforts may be. Scholars who have invested time in this debate would do well to read Arthur’s words carefully, and those seeking to learn more in general about presidential rhetoric and presidential economic leadership will fınd Economic Actors, Economic Behaviors, and Presidential Leadership to be as enjoyable of an introduction to the topic as it is an insightful one." - Rhetoric & Public Affairs