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Presidential Travel and the Rose Garden Strategy: A Case Study of Ronald Reagan's 1984 Tour of Europe
Author(s) -
Thomson Sarah Margaret Grace
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
presidential studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1741-5705
pISSN - 0360-4918
DOI - 10.1111/psq.12684
Subject(s) - presidency , presidential system , rose (mathematics) , political science , public opinion , relation (database) , presidential campaign , public administration , law , politics , geometry , mathematics , database , computer science
The “Rose Garden strategy” has traditionally been understood to refer to presidential activity within Washington, DC, where incumbents drape themselves in the grandeur and symbolism associated with the office of the presidency in an attempt to bolster their public image. This article argues that our understanding of the Rose Garden strategy should be conceptualized more broadly to encompass activities beyond Washington, DC. It does so by examining the role of overseas presidential travel in incumbents' reelection strategies, taking Ronald Reagan's 1984 European tour as a case study. Reconceptualizing our understanding of the Rose Garden strategy offers us a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between the president, the public, and the press by demonstrating the benefits and limitations of positive press coverage in relation to public opinion of the president.