Gary King. "The Methodology of Presidential Research," Researching the Presidency: Vital Questions, New Approaches, George Edwards III, John H. Kessel, and Bert A. Rockman, eds., Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1993: Pp. 387-412, copy at http://gking.harvard.edu/files/abs/methpres-abs.shtml, copy at http://gking.harvard.edu/files/abs/methpres-abs.shtml. (Article: PDF)

Abstract

The original purpose of the paper this chapter was based on was to use the Presidency Research Conference's first-round papers-- by John H. Aldrich, Erwin C. Hargrove, Karen M. Hult, Paul Light, and Richard Rose-- as my "data." My given task was to analyze the literature ably reviewed by these authors and report what political methodology might have to say about presidency research. I focus in this chapter on the traditional presidency literature, emphasizing research on the president and the office. For the most part, I do not consider research on presidential selection, election, and voting behavior, which has been much more similar to other fields in American politics.

Also see related research.