PSCI 218(S) Presidential Politics

The American presidency is commonly seen as the focal point of American politics and the most powerful component of the federal government. But the executive branch is only one of three, the presidency is only part of the executive branch, and there is much more to the presidency than just the president. All of this poses serious questions about such an activist role, given the organizational context. We begin the course by examining three exemplars of modern presidents: the power-seeking flexibility of Franklin Roosevelt, the consensus-building teamwork of Dwight Eisenhower, and the ideological, publicity-minded approach of Ronald Reagan. Then, turning to comparisons across presidencies, we consider: the gap between presidential authority and presidential influence; the president's personal impact on the presidency and the executive branch; and how the Cabinet, executive bureaucracy, Congress, the news media and the mass public provide opportunities for and/or constraints against presidential leadership. Requirements: one short thought paper; one longer research paper exploring one of the domestic successes or failures of the Clinton presidency from the perspectives of the three models; a self-scheduled final exam. No prerequisites. Open to first-year students with advanced placement credit in American politics. American Politics Subfield (This course is part of the new Leadership Studies cluster.)

Hour: COOK