In the most up-to-date core text available on the presidency, Pika and Maltese once again deliver their comprehensive-and accessible-analysis of the presidency. Never losing sight of the foundations of the office, the authors maintain a balance between historical context and contemporary scholarship on the U.S. executive. A solid foundation for any presidency course, the revised eighth edition features a new chapter on the 2012 election and analysis of Obama's challenges as a second-term president in an entrenched partisan environment.