The book includes:
•"Presidential Qualities," originally published when Richard Nixon was president, addresses the characteristics we should want in a chief executive regardless of whether or not we agree with him.
•"Why Great Men Are Not Chosen Presidents: Lord Bryce Revisited" asks whether changes in the process by which we select presidential candidates would result in different kinds of people seeking office.
•"Toward a More Functional Presidency," written after Watergate, rethinks the appropriate role of the president and offers a job description.