"In The Trusteeship Presidency, the distinguished political scientist Charles O. Jones portrays President Carter's seemingly antipolitical approach to politics and how it affected his often strained relations with Congress. Using the extensive interviews conducted with President Carter and senior members of the White House shortly after Carter's term ended, Jones considers the political context of Carter's extraordinary nomination and electoral victories in 1976, the new type of Congress that he faced in 1977, and the approach to Congress that was developed throughout the Carter years. The book seeks to explain more than to criticize, to understand more than to judge"--Jacket.

With its associated images of the Iranian hostage crisis, the presidency of Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981 is often regarded as a nadir in modern American national leadership. In this re-evaluation, John Dumbrell looks at Carter's years in the White House from a post-cold war perspective, and argues that Carter was neither incompetent nor lacking in a compassionate vision.