How do presidents communicate with the public, and to what extent have methods of presidential communication changed over time? While scholars debate the effectiveness of presidential rhetoric and outreach to the public, building relationships with the American public is an important and expected part of the president's job description. The main question is how. Considering the competitive and conflictual nature of the American political system and the continuous improvements in communication technologies, how do presidents find ways to reach and to persuade the American people on their policy priorities? In this rigorous work, Pluta combined an impressive, original data set and rich, historical details to “offer a unique and comprehensive view of presidential rhetoric from 1789 to 2021” (5) and to clarify “how structural factors create incentives for political actors to change their behavior to gain an advantage” (174). The overall view of presidential behavior developed in the book is that external forces affect presidential communication with and persuasion of the public.

Specifically, the media environment, the available communication technology, and political circumstances combined to shape the mode by which messages are communicated, the audience at which the messages are directed, the frequency with which the president speaks,