Introduction : political institutions and the politics of the presidential mandate -- Changes in mandate rhetoric : from the progressive era to the partisan era -- The changing presidential script : Hoover, Roosevelt, and the politics of transition -- President of all the people? : Eisenhower, Johnson, and leadership in the modern era -- The presidency in crisis : Nixon, Carter, and the decline of consensus -- What an election is all about : Reagan, Bush, Obama, and the age of mandates -- Conclusion : delivering the people's message