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This article approaches the relationship of the president to the press first by discussing the key importance of the president's ability to develop public support for his policies. This is his primary reliance since he has few con stitutional powers for influencing policy and his role as party leader is not much help. Because the president's relationship with the public is so important, his dependence on the press to maintain that link is very great. The nation gains news about the president and what he is doing and forms opinions of him and his policies, through the news media. A president's relations with the press, though based on interdependence, rarely involve cordial cooperation. Rather, they tend to go through phases or "seasons" re lated closely to the more readily measured phases through which general presidential popularity passes during an ad ministration. Using data gathered by the Gallup Poll on public approval of how the president is doing his job, the pattern can be studied. It usually involves high initial ratings and subsequent declines. The rate of decline de pends partly on whether a president was elected or suc ceeded as vice-president. How wisely he uses this key asset in efforts to influence policy and how skillfully he deals with the media "middlemen" will determine much of his presidency's success.

The boss and his urban machine, though products of many factors, were virtually unthinkable without their immi grant clienteles. These gave the machine its essential mass base. And the machine operated, in effect, as virtually the only agency facilitating the political—and economic—integration of the immigrants into the American community. This was done by soliciting—or "buying"—their votes with the familiar array of machine "services," bringing their representatives into the organization, offering a career ladder to some individuals, and giving general recognition to them as a group. Then the im migration flow virtually stopped during the 1920's. This, plus various urban reforms, the development of government- sponsored welfare services, and the like ended the era of the boss. Actually, two kinds of "immigration" have gone on since the twenties. The Negro has come in increasing numbers from the rural South to northern urban centers, and the Puerto Rican has sought wider opportunity in New York City. Though the present-day urban party has far less motive and ability to deal with these newcomers in the former manner, evidence suggests that they are finding their way into the party organizations and, hence, are to some extent being represented by them.

Using 57 transcripts of President Wilson's press conferences recently made available for study at Princeton University, the author examines Wilson's press relations and his use of the newspaper as a means of influencing public opinion. He throws new light on Wilson's relations with White House reporters.

An analysis of front-page news in a large daily and a medium-sized daily over the last 70 years indicates that Presidential news has increased more rapidly than either national governmental news as a whole or Congressional news. The author is assistant professor of political science at Brown University.