Meacham also acknowledged the influence Jackson scholars James Parton and Robert V. Remini had over his work on "American Lion". First Lady of the United States Laura Bush and Jean Becker, chief of staff to former President George H. W. Bush, allowed Meacham to tour the private quarters of the White House as part of his research, and Meacham also visited the United States Capitol. Meacham said his personal opinion of Jackson had improved by the end of the writing process, saying: "There are two ways to write a biography. One is to be utterly hostile. The other is to be empathetic. I chose to be empathetic." Meacham said he named book "American Lion" because he felt lions make both the best allies and the worst enemies, which he felt captured the contradictions at Jackson's core: "If he were on your side, he would do all he could to protect you. If he believed you a foe, then he was a ferocious and merciless predator." Meacham believed Jackson represented the best and worst of American character, citing his simultaneous capacity for kindness and cruelty. Meacham believed of all the early U.S. presidents and Founding Fathers, Jackson was "the most like us", and the duality of Jackson's nature is one shared by America itself. To that end, Meacham believed an understanding of Jackson leads to an understanding of the capacity Americans have for cognitive dissonance, particularly in tolerating inequality and injustice while convincing oneself that they are in fact striving for those virtues. "American Lion" is not a full-scale account of Jackson's entire life or political career, but rather focuses on his presidency and his domestic arrangements in the White House. Meacham said he did not seek to write an academic study of Jackson's preidency because he believed that territory had already been covered by multiple biographies and historical accounts, and instead he "attempted to paint a biographical portrait of Jackson and of many of the people who lived and worked with him in his tumultuous years in power". Through his forceful character and aggressive actions in the office, Meacham believes Jackson influenced the modern presidency more than any chief executive that came before him. In particular, Meacham believed Jackson helped shaped such aspects of modern American politics as popular campaigning techniques, media manipulation, and engaging citizens in the narrative of politics while simultaneously governing. Meacham wrote: "All of these features flowered in the age of Jackson, and they all feel very contemporary." Ann Robinson of "The Oregonian" wrote that the book illustrates how Jackson has changed the U.S. presidency in ways that continue to resonate in modern times, particularly in his expansive claims for the executive branch's inherent constitutional powers, such as the veto.