The Professor and the President: Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the Nixon White House Hardcover – December 8, 2014

Avant-Garde Politician: Leaders for a New Epoch To start with a personal disclosure, during my work at the RAND Corporation, which overlapped Moynihan's period at the White House, I was invited by Moynihan to visit him and discuss the setting up of a National Goals Research Staff. There is also a career parallel, namely my experience in Israel as a Labor Party member serving as an advisor to a Likud Prime Minister - which is very unusual in the highly ideological "hot" political culture of Israel (I was threatened by some of my leftish academic colleagues with "punishment" for my "treasonable activity!)."Moving on to substance: Being an ardent reader of the writings by Stephen Hess on the organization of the presidency, I read this one with high expectations, which were not disappointed. But this book is different from the earlier ones. It is based on personal experience and focuses on the interface between two very interesting and multifarious persons, an activist professor and the President of the only (at that time) superpower.An impressive feature of President Nixon was his choice of two outstanding academics as senior members of this staff, namely Henry Kissinger and Daniel Moynihan, without regard for their political views. Kissinger played a key role in Nixon's most important achievement, namely radical resetting relations with Communist China. Moynihan made important contributions to Nixon's thinking, but not to major policies.The clear lesion for rulers is to appoint a few outstanding non-establishment thinkers, including atypical professors, as high-level advisors and interact with them a lot. A clear lesson for such advisers is not to expect to have much impact, even when appreciated and also liked by the ruler. Kissinger is a high-achievement exception; Moynihan at the White House is not."One of Pat's [Moynihan] cherished proposals is to urge Nixon to push the country to take `the long perspective,' to focus `our attention further into the future" (p. 78). Moynihan wanted to set up a commission on national goals, which was reduced to a national goals research staff, which failed. The fundamental reason: "the White House, as usual, is overwhelmed by the now" (p. 79). As discussed in my recent book, it takes much more than a presidential advisor, however outstanding, to overcome one of the fundamental weaknesses of most governments and political leaders, namely to focus on now-time which drives out of attention longer-term futures.The main policy initiative of Moynihan, the Family Assistant Plan, was adopted by the President. But it soon ran into political resistance and was rejected (pp.129-132). And, as I conclude from reading the narrative, the Urban Affairs Council as a whole was a failure. This has deep structural reasons. Moynihan wanted "to have the urban equivalent of Henry Kissinger's job on the National Security Council. A National Urban Council..." (p. 11). Nixon granted him his wish, the press reporting "Nixon is giving `Dr. Moynihan authority in the domestic field comparable to Dr. Henry Kissinger in the national security field.'" (p. 35). However, as correctly noted by the author, "The usual comparison to the NSC [National Security Council] is flimsy. The players in national security are few...They know how they fit together... ...none of this holds for the domestic players..."There is more to learn from this well-written book, while enjoying its story-like style. It is strongly recommended to students of political leadership and public policy, designers of staffs for rulers, and would-be advisors to presidents and prime ministers.Professor Yehezkel DrorThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Stephen Hess was a friend to both Nixon (professionally) and Moynihan more personally, who worked as a speechwriterand later at the Brookings Institution think tank. Since the Nixon administration ended in disgrace and is often invokedwith contempt, it is often unknown just how much brainpower was there, beginning with the President himself. Asanother reviewer pointed out, he was usually smarter than those who worked for him, until Moynihan, Kissinger andBurns came along. Hess explains that Nixon's emotional insecurities actually contributed to this lively situation,since he felt inferior to the East Coast Ivy League establishment with all their cocktail parties and everything, so he gotBurns from Columbia and Kissinger and Moynihan from Harvard. Besides them there were Pat Buchanan, Bill Safire,and many others. This book focuses on Moynihan, Kissinger and Burns, with Haldeman and Ehrlichman being thekey figures moderating among the officials in the cabinet and protecting Nixon from his staff. Also Don Rumsfeldwas a key figure among the youthful rising representatives who joined the executive branch. Spiro Agnew was alsoamong the hardliners and an early model of the attack dog model for the vice president. Burns and Moynihan hada lot of creative tension but avoided personal bitterness, which is remarkable. Moynihan was generally liked bythe other officials despite their political differences because he was fun and funny, and had a self-deprecatingapproach to his own research. When he left, Kissinger observed that he was leaving the ivory tower of politicsfor the tough real world of academia, but he could always turn to him for detached intellectual analysis-in aparadoxical reversal of the two worlds.Hess notes that Nixon had few close friends outside his family, but Moynihan became one of them, because despitetheir obvious political differences, he was loyal and was able to engage his intellectual interests. He had his ownresentments toward the elite, since social science had become politically correct and his efforts in Negro and urbanissues were rejected by many. So the Nixon White House gave him an opportunity to work on welfare reform, andfor those years "there was some damn good government" even from the liberal social democrat point of viewwhich peaked in 1972 with the income for working families along with welfare for those not working. Even decadeslater, the book lists of homework that Pat gave Tricky Dick are worth exploring for others, from Henry Adams toLionel Trilling, and of course the Daniel Bell/Nathan Glazer/Irving Kristol crew.

Stephen Hess, “The Professor and the President: Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the Nixon White House.” Moynihan served as urban affairs co-ordinator for President Nixon in 1969 and domestic affairs co-ordinator in 1970. After serving two years with Nixon, he returned to Harvard as per their prior arrangement. Hess had been friends with Nixon and with Moynihan from days gone by. In ’69 Hess served as Moynihan’s deputy, in ’70 he headed a child well-being task force. Through the years, Nixon’s aides routinely sent him simplified dumbed down one-page memos. Moynihan sent complex memos that ended when they ended. Nixon loved it. For the first time he had aides (Kissinger was hired at the same time) who were his intellectual equal. Hess tells the story of the Moynihan-Nixon interaction. No scandal. They liked and respected each other. Hess is a professional writer. I liked the book.

Very interesting