The Women’s Museum of California will be holding a book signing with Dr. Lauren Wright, author of On Behalf of the President: Presidential Spouses and White House Communications Strategy Today. In the book Wright identifies, explains, and measures the impact of the expanding role of presidential spouses in White House and presidential campaign communications strategy with a focus on the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations.
The event will be held Monday, Oct. 24, at 5 p.m. at the Women’s Museum of California, 2730 Historic Decatur Road, Barracks 16 in San Diego. Click here to attend. Suggested donation $5.
The Book
Political scientists have failed to recognize the political importance of the president’s spouse. While the evolving role of the first lady over time from White House hostess to presidential advisor has been documented in historical narratives and news articles, the tremendous responsibility placed on her office to communicate the president’s message and shape his public image has received little attention. This responsibility has increased markedly in the last three presidential administrations, illustrated by the fact that Michelle Obama made more speeches and major public appearances in her first six years in office than any first lady in recent history. In addition to demonstrating that presidential spouses are an integral part of White House and campaign communications strategy, this book challenges the popular notion among scholars that communications tactics designed to boost presidential popularity and garner support for the president’s policy agenda have a negligible impact on public opinion. Detailed examinations of speech transcripts, interviews with Washington insiders and former White House staff, and cutting-edge survey experiments inform an assessment of the possibility that presidential spouses are mobilized in a calculated effort to enhance the public reputation of presidents and their policy agendas, and that under some circumstances, these efforts can profoundly influence public opinion at the individual level.
The Author
Lauren A. Wright received her Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University in December 2014 where she majored in American government and political methodology. Lauren’s dissertation received distinction and was nominated for the George C. Edwards III Award in presidency research. Lauren is also a board member of the White House Transition Project, a nonpartisan group of scholars, journalists, and policy experts whose combined efforts and knowledge aims to ensure a smooth presidential transition every four years.
