Pitfalls. Peril. Prosperity.

In 1954, with bipartisan cooperation, Eisenhower extended Social Security to many parts of society that the initial statute did not cover, including large numbers of African-Americans and women.

Since then, Washington has become ever more polarized, and the next president is likely to face a Congress controlled by opponents. Eisenhower provides a good example of cultivating relationships with members of both parties to pass important legislation.

Carter’s “Georgia mafia” found Washington unfamiliar and, soon enough, unfriendly. Carter’s presidency suffered as a consequence. Reagan, by contrast, created a “troika” consisting of two loyalists from California and Washington pro James Baker. Reagan’s administration got off to a fast start and ran smoothly with Baker as chief of staff.

In selecting individuals for their administrations, presidents should balance their personal connections to appointees with appointees’ experience of government. This is especially important for presidents with little personal experience of life in Washington.

Johnson combined proposals from his administration, Republicans, and the American Medical Association—all of which had been viewed as separate and exclusive of each other—into what we now know as Medicare Part A.

As Johnson’s legacy shows, first-year presidents can develop new policy opportunities if they remain open to changes in approach, particularly by combining opposing ideas.

Jefferson said this in his first inaugural address, after a bitter election that had split the nation.

In the words of essayist H.W. Brands: “Jefferson didn’t mean it, and no one believed it. But the gesture was graceful and might have kept some congressional Federalists from cutting off their noses to spite their faces when Jefferson asked for their support in the purchase of Louisiana.”

It won’t always be easy, but try to retain a relatively charitable view of your political adversaries. Keep in mind that you were elected to represent the entire nation.

Jackson was close friends with his secretary of state, John Eaton. Eaton’s second wife, Peg, was a recent widow, and was rumored to have had an affair with Eaton prior to her previous husband’s death. This “checkered background” scandalized the wives of the other members of Jackson’s Cabinet. The Eatons were frozen out of Washington social life, with Jackson stridently supporting his friend, refusing to call for his resignation. The resulting conflict was known as “the Petticoat affair,” and paralyzed the administration for months.

The key takeaway: Friends ought to be loyal to friends, but presidents should be loyal only to the national interest.