Meena Bose 
Professor of Political Science | Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY, UNITED STATES
MEENA BOSE is Executive Dean of Hofstra University’s Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs
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Biography
MEENA BOSE is executive dean of public policy and public service programs at Hofstra University’s Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency and a professor of political science. She is the author of Shaping and Signaling Presidential Policy: The National Security Decision Making of Eisenhower and Kennedy (1998), and editor of the reference volume The New York Times on the Presidency (2009). She also has edited several volumes in presidency studies and a reader in American politics, and she is third author for the American Government: Institutions and Policies textbook (15th edition, 2016).
Dr. Bose has developed non-partisan courses sponsored by The Washington Center in connection with the national party conventions as well as on key issues in American politics. She also has designed and taught courses for Elderhostel on presidential leadership and American politics. Dr. Bose serves on the editorial board of Political Science Quarterly and has been a guest editor for White House Studies.
Dr. Bose taught for six years at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she also served as Director of American Politics in 2006. Dr. Bose previously taught at Hofstra University from 1996-2000. Long Island Business News selected her as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” leaders on Long Island in 2009. She received her undergraduate degree in international politics from Penn State University (1990), and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Princeton University (1992, 1996).
Industry Expertise (2)
Education/Learning
Research
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Presidential Elections
Presidential Campaigns
Presidential Politics
Presidential History
Education (3)
Princeton University: Ph. D., Political Science 1996
Princeton University: M.A., Political Science 1992
Pennsylvania State University: B.A., International Politics 1990
Links (1)
Media Appearances (31)
Back to All Lives Matter? People of Colour No Longer Exempt From Wearing Masks in Oregon County
Sputnik News online
2020-06-26
Dr. Meena Bose, professor of political science, executive dean of the Public Policy and Public Service program, and executive director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, was interviewed by Sputnik News about an overturned rule in Lincoln County, OR, that exempted people of color from wearing masks as part of COVID-19 protective measures. The rule was initially put in place because of concerns that people wearing the face coverings were the targets of more discrimination. Shortly thereafter, the County Board of Commissioners admitted that the policy “meant to protect” people of color actually made them a target for “further discrimination and harassment.” In fact, some black communities asked for the previous policy to be restored.
While localities need to take discrimination and racism factors into account when making decisions about public health, Dr. Bose said, “In this case, the county and state have now decided that the medical considerations are the primary reason for wearing face coverings in indoor public settings, with attentiveness to ensuring the directive does not present problems of discrimination or racism for residents.”
Analysis: As US reckons over race, Trump becomes a bystander
Associated Press print
2020-06-11
Excerpted from article:
At a moment of national reckoning over racism in America, President Donald Trump is increasingly becoming a bystander.
He wasn't in the pews of churches in Minneapolis or Houston to memorialize George Floyd, the black man whose death sparked protests across the country. He hasn't spoken publicly about the ways Floyd's death during a police arrest has shaken the conscience of millions of Americans of all races. And he's dismissed the notion of systemic racism in law enforcement, repeatedly putting himself firmly on the side of the police over protesters.
...White House advisers have grappled with the president's role in this moment, particularly given that so many of the statements he has made following [George] Floyd's death have only escalated tensions, including his threats to send the military into states to quell protests. Some aides contemplated a national address on race but felt there was little the president could say of consequence in this moment.
"An address that demonstrated empathy, compassion, listening, conciliation, a way forward ... that wouldn't be too late at all," said Meena Bose, a presidential historian at Hofstra University. "A speech that doesn't do that is maybe worse than no speech at all."
Floyd's death becomes central focus of 2020 presidential campaign
Newsday print
2020-06-09
Dr. Meena Bose was interviewed by Newsday about how the death of George Floyd is becoming a central focus of 2020 presidential campaign.
Trump eyes racial equality debate through economic lens
Associated Press print
2020-06-09
Excerpted from the article:
Presidents long before Trump have grappled with racism and its effects, from the Kerner commission that Lyndon B. Johnson created to investigate 1960s race riots to Bill Clinton’s “Initiative on Race” to the White House “beer summit” Barack Obama held in 2009 with African American Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and the white Cambridge, Massachusetts, police sergeant who had arrested Gates after a misunderstanding outside his home.
More discussion is needed, said Meena Bose, a presidential historian at Hofstra University.
“I don’t know that the United States has really had a sustained conversation about race and wrestled with these questions, really, in kind of that extended way that we saw in the 1950s and 1960s,” Bose said.
Tensions Grow Between White House and Pentagon
FOX Radio radio
2020-06-09
Dr. Meena Bose, professor of political science, executive dean of the Public Policy and Public Service program, and executive director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, appeared on the FOX Radio Network on June 9, 2020, to discuss how tensions between the White House and the Pentagon are getting close to a breaking point over President Donald Trump’s threat to use military force against street protests triggered by George Floyd’s death. Friction in this relationship, historically, is not unusual. But in recent days, and for the second time in Trump’s term, it has raised a prospect of high-level resignations and the risk of lasting damage to the military’s reputation.
Dr. Bose was interviewed on a number of stations across the country, including WTKS in Savannah, GA; WRVA in Richmond, VA; KTBB in Tyler, TX; WILS in Lansing, MI; KURV in McAllen, TX; and WSPD in Toledo, OH .
In Days of Discord, a President Fans the Flames
The New York Times print
2020-05-30
As America surpassed 100,000 deaths from coronavirus and riots erupted nationwide in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, President Donald Trump turned to social media to blame Democratic governors for the unrest and threatened to get “MUCH tougher” on the crowds.
“Crisis leadership demands much more from the White House than irresponsible threats on social media,” said Meena Bose, director of the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency at Hofstra University.
CHINA USED AIR TRAVEL TO ‘SEED’ VIRUS IN EARLY STAGE, TOP WH OFFICIAL SAYS
FOX Radio Network - Affiliates around the country radio
2020-05-19
Dr. Meena Bose, professor of political science, executive dean of the Public Policy and Public Service program, and executive director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, appeared on the FOX Radio Network on May 19, 2020, to discuss allegations made by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro that China concealed the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in its early stages and used air travel to seed its spread.
Dr. Bose was interviewed on a number of stations across the country, including WFRK in Florence, SC; WJAS in Pittsburgh, PA; WTKS in Savannah, GA; KTBB in Tyler, TX; WILS in Lansing, MI; KURV in McAllen, TX; and WGY in Albany, NY.
Immigration Executive Order/2020 Presidential Race
Fox Radio Affiliates radio
2020-04-22
Dr. Bose did live interviews on these radio affiliates:
WREC Memphis, TN
WJAS Pittsburgh, PA
WTKS Savannah, GA
WSJK Champaign, IL
WILS Lansing, MI
KURV McAllen, TX
KBIZ Ottumwa, IA
Hofstra poll: Suburban voters back Biden, Sanders for president over Trump
Newsday print
2020-03-19
Suburban voters prefer Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders over President Donald Trump, but Trump holds a comfortable lead among independents, according to Hofstra University's new Kalikow Center Poll.
The poll by the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency surveyed 1,500 voters nationwide from March 5-12, largely before the spread of coronavirus became a major national issue.
"Following impeachment, acquittal, certainly concerns about economic conditions, it indicates a certain stability for now in American politics and a very competitive presidential race in November," Meena Bose, executive dean of Hofstra’s Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, said of the poll.
But Bose said the coronavirus pandemic could throw Trump's numbers into flux.
Trump's approval rating has remained stable, with "the strength of the economy as his strongest area,” Bose said.
But the coronavirus outbreak and the plummeting economy "could change that outlook dramatically."
SANDERS HINTS TUESDAY’S PRIMARIES SHOULD BE POSTPONED OVER CORONAVIRUS
FOX Radio Network radio
2020-03-17
Dr. Meena Bose, professor of political science, executive dean of the Public Policy and Public Service program, and executive director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, appeared on the FOX Radio Network on March 17, 2020, to discuss whether the Democratic primaries that day should have been postponed because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Dr. Bose was interviewed on a number of stations across the country, including WREC in Memphis, TN; WSJK in Champaign, IL; WILS in Lansing, MI; and KURV in McAllen, TX.
President's Day Show
WSHU radio
2020-02-13
In honor of Presidents Day, WSHU public radio highlighted the U.S. Presidents from its region: Teddy Roosevelt from Oyster Bay on Long Island, George H.W. Bush from Greenwich, Connecticut, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt from Hyde Park, New York. Guests included Meena Bose, Ph.D., professor of political science, Hofstra University.
Bernie Sanders builds momentum with progressive groups ahead of Iowa caucus
ABC News tv
2020-01-15
With less than three weeks until voting starts in Iowa and beyond, the campaigns of both Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren are jockeying for support from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
The two candidates have been friends for nearly 20 years and have, until now, maintained a pact of non-aggression during the 2020 race. Earlier this week, Sanders vehemently denied reports, including a statement from Warren herself, that he said a woman couldn't win against Donald Trump.
Meena Bose, executive dean at Hofstra University's Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, said Sanders is building a “very strong constituency” within the Democratic Party.
Important national political dates in 2020
Newsday print
2019-12-30
2020 will be a momentous political year. Dr. Bose talked about the Iowa Caucus, the New Hampshire Primary and the party conventions.
Trump hauls out the rhetorical heavy artillery while taking a l’état, c’est moi approach to impeachment
Washington Post print
2019-10-01
Meena Bose, Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs in the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, and Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, was interviewed by The Washington Post recently about President Trump’s use of “rhetorical heavy artillery” as he tries to discredit the whistleblower’s report and the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry.
“President Trump understands public communications, and this is an effort to gain the upper hand publicly, to control the narrative,” Dr. Bose said.
Analysis of the Mueller Report
FOX Radio Network radio
2019-04-19
Dr. Meena Bose appeared on the FOX Radio Network on April 19, 2019, to discuss the release of the much-anticipated report by special counsel Robert Mueller and what its findings mean for President Trump.
Dr. Bose was interviewed on a number of stations across the country, including KPEL in Lafayette, LA; WDRC in Hartford, CT; WILS in Lansing, MI; WSJK in Champaign, IL; WWNC in Ashville, NC; WJAS in Pittsburgh, PA; WTKS in Savannah, GA; and KFYI in Phoenix, AZ.
Dr. Meena Bose on Trump Presidential Books
FOX 5 - WNYW-TV tv
2019-02-01
Meena Bose, professor of political science and executive director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, was featured in a Fox 5 NY report about the influx of books dealing with the Trump presidency.
Trump used the Oval Office to make his border wall pitch — but experts doubt it will sway voters
CBC News (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) online
2019-01-09
"The speech, the location, the language, this was clearly by design meant to convey the authority of the Oval Office and presidency," said Meena Bose, executive dean of public policy at Hofstra University. "But I don't think that will sway anyone who opposes the president or who has not been following it very closely."
Recalling Bush conference at Hofstra University in 1997
Newsday online
2018-12-01
Meena Bose, director of Hofstra’s Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, had just arrived at the Hempstead university that year, and she recalled that Bush and his wife, Barbara, made themselves amazingly available to dignitaries and students alike...
When Will Ivanka Trump Stop Getting Excused for Screwing Up?
Glamour online
2018-11-20
Meena Bose, professor of political science, executive dean of the public policy and public service program and executive director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, weighs in for a Glamour magazine story about revelations that Ivanka Trump used personal email to conduct government business.
Why Do Candidates Run for Office When There’s Little Chance They Can Win?
Teen Vogue online
2018-11-07
Meena Bose, professor of political science and director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, spoke with Teen Vogue about how little-known candidates are able to build campaigns that offer a serious challenge to established incumbents.
Trump and North Korea’s Kim: Caught in a bad romance?
Washington Post print
2018-10-02
Meena Bose, professor of political science and director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, took a look at the relationships of some American presidents and foreign leaders for a Washington Post article that highlighted President Trump’s fondness for flattering letters from North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
STRZOK FACES GRILLING ON CAPITOL HILL
FOX Radio Network radio
2018-07-13
A defiant Peter Strzok said the scrutiny he is facing over his anti-Trump text messages amounts to "just another victory notch in Putin's belt," according to the FBI official's remarks prepared to be delivered before House committees Thursday morning. Strzok has been in political crosshairs for months over revelations of anti-Trump text messages exchanged with his lover, and former bureau colleague, Lisa Page.
Dr. Bose did interviews on the following stations:
WSJK in Champaign, IL; KURV in McAllen, TX; WILS in Lansing, MI; KBIZ in Ottumwa, IA; and KBUL Billings, MT
Presidential politics: A Q&A with Meena Bose of Hofstra’s Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency
City and State New York online
2017-02-19
As with so much else in the 45th presidency, we’re in somewhat uncharted territory. In the list of New York presidents there’s the Roosevelts and in the 19th century, (Martin) Van Buren, (Millard) Fillmore, Grover Cleveland (born in Caldwell, New Jersey) and briefly Chester Arthur. Of course, Richard Nixon was not a native New Yorker, but New York did become his home for some time in the ’60s.
5 Things to watch for in Trump's State of the Union address
Newsday print
2018-01-29
“'State of the union messages don’t necessarily move negotiations forward, but they tend to set an even keel for discussions,' said Meena Bose, director of Hofstra University’s Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, speaking on how his remarks might play with lawmakers."
Oprah Winfrey candidate for the presidency of the United States?
Le Parisien online
2018-01-09
After Oprah's rousing speech at the Golden Globe Awards in January 2018, she emerged as a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. "She knew full well that with this talk we would talk about her as a potential candidate," said Meena Bose, professor of political science at Hofstra University (New York).
Trump’s lawyer says a president can’t technically obstruct justice. Experts say that’s fanciful
Washington Post online
2017-12-04
President Trump's lawyer John Dowd told Axios: "The “president cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under [the Constitution's Article II] and has every right to express his view of any case.”
"Meena Bose, an expert on executive authority for Hofstra University, noted that the ultimate arbiter would be Congress, which has the power to impeach and convict. And she noted that previous presidents who faced impeachment were confronted with obstruction charges — both explicit and implicit."
President Trump's Do-It-Myself Approach Just Suffered Big and Rare Setback
Washington Post online
2017-02-04
"Judicial checks on executive orders appear to be infrequent, in keeping with the view that the judiciary seeks to avoid 'political' questions," said Meena Bose, an executive-authority expert at Hofstra University.
What Donald Trump needs to do in his inaugural address
Newsday online
2017-01-19
“Everything about Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency has been so unexpected and so at odds with the traditional rules of modern presidential politics that it’s very difficult to predict what he’ll say in his address,” said Meena Bose, a presidential scholar at Hofstra University.
A look back at Barack Obama’s presidency
Newsday online
2017-01-12
“Every part of the Obama legacy is complicated,” said Meena Bose, executive dean of public policy and public service programs at Hofstra University and director of the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency. “The overarching assessment is that the Obama legacy will be mixed.”
Hofstra in Hindsight: An Analysis of the First Presidential Debate
Huffington Post online
2016-09-29
On September 26, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump verbally sparred in the Hofstra Arena, setting the stage for the next six weeks before Election Day. What did we learn, what happens next, and what was hosting a presidential debate for the third time like for Hofstra (the only school to host three presidential debates consecutively)?
Politics and the Pursuit of the U.S. Presidency
C-Span tv
2016-01-04
Former Agriculture Secretary and Representative Dan Glickman (D-KS) and Professor Meena Bose talked about the political pursuit of the U.S. presidency.
Articles (2)
2009
This paper examines how students of the American presidency conceptualize U.S. standing abroad and its importance for presidential power. It evaluates how recent American presidents employ the concept of standing and discusses how presidency scholars might more systematically analyze its consequences for executive leadership at home.
2009
This paper evaluates the early foreign-policy rhetoric and decision making of the Obama administration. It focuses on three areas of scholarly analysis: the development of an overarching strategy to guide policies; selection of an advisory team and management of the advisory process; and interaction with Congress on policy making. The paper finds that the Obama administration has developed clear goals in foreign affairs to date, though not a strategic doctrine, and a collegial advisory team, but it has experienced some conflict with Congress over executive power.
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