The Dangerous First Year: National Security at the Start of a New Presidency

"You’ve got to give it all you can that first year….
You’ve got just one year when they treat you right, and before they start worrying about
themselves…. So, you’ve got one year."–Lyndon B. Johnson, January
1965
In an increasingly polarized political environment,
the first year of the new president’s term will be especially challenging. With a fresh
mandate, however, the first year also offers opportunities that may never come again. The First
Year Project is a fascinating initiative by the Miller Center of the University of Virginia that
brings together top scholars on the American presidency and experienced officials to explore the
first twelve months of past administrations, and draw practical lessons from that history, as we
prepare to inaugurate a new president in January 2017.
This project is the
basis for a new series of digital shorts published as Miller Center Studies on the Presidency.
Addressing the theme of national security, this debut volume examines the first-year experiences
of five previous administrations, including those of John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, George H.
W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Presented as specially priced collections published
exclusively in an ebook format, these timely examinations recognize the experiences of past
presidents as an invaluable resource that can edify and instruct the incoming
president.
Contributors: Hal Brands, Duke University *
Jeffery Engel, Southern Methodist University * Michèle Flournoy, Center for a New
American Security * Melvyn P. Leffler, University of Virginia * Marc Selverstone,
University of Virginia * Jeremi Suri, University of Texas at Austin * Philip Zelikow,
University of Virginia
Miller Center Studies on the
Presidency