| POLS 316: The Presidency, Spring 2008 |
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| Instructor: Randall D. Smith Offfice: 108-B Asbury E-Mail: randallsmith@depauw.edu Office Phone: (765) 658-4714 Website: oocities.com/randall_d_smith/ Office Hours: 9-10 MWF & 1-2 TR, or appt. |
| Description:
POLS 316 provides a more thorough introduction to the study of the US presidency. This course presents a study of the American presidency in historical perspective. It seeks to convey the evolution of the institution over time. POLS 316 is designed to provide an understanding of the constraints placed on the individuals that hold this office as well as the manner in which the behavior of these individuals irrevocably change the institution itself. Within this context, the traditional aspects of: power, personality, public opinion, relations between branches, and elections, are discussed alongside the “institutionalization” of the office itself. Throughout the term, the course is designed to develop students' understanding of the powers and imperatives of the American presidency, as well as an understanding of the president's role in the American political order. Primary attention is also given to examination of success both in attaining office and in office: what makes a good president, what citizens look for in a president, what strategies and/or behaviors are more or less likely to result in successful presidencies. The understanding arrived at through study of these topics will provide a base for our discussions of presidential interaction with the other branches of government, and, as this is an election year, most importantly how to be elected “leader of the free world.” Course Methodology: This course is primarily a seminar style course. Students are expected to read the assigned readings before the course meets and be prepared to discuss the topics covered in the readings. This is a discussion-driven course, meaning that I will do very little lecturing. Instead, I will highlight important aspects of the reading during our discussions, and add insight from other relevant scholarly work. Audio/visual aids may be utilized to emphasize particularly relevant topics. Of course, current events will likely color our discussions. Students are expected to keep close tabs on the presidency, and the election cycle, throughout the duration of this course and students should be prepared to answer and raise questions about what is going on in the executive branch each week. It is likely that the topics covered in this course will stem heated debate, which is welcomed by the instructor. Americans often revere the presidency as an institution, regardless of how they feel about the person holding the office. Yet, very few understand the peculiarity of such a position in a global perspective, much less what the president does, how s/he does it, or even how this person came to hold this awkward office. Overall, the course will provide more than adequate understanding of the presidency, and serve as a stepping stone for students interested in executive internships, graduate study of American politics, or gaining a more thorough knowledge of the executive branch of the US government. Texts: Pfiffner, James P.. 2008. The Modern Presidency, 5th Ed.. Belmont, CA. Thomson/Wadsworth. ISBN-10: 0-495-18994-4; ISBN-13: 978-0-495-18994-7 Milkis, Sidney M. and Michael Nelson. 2003. The American Presidency: Origins and Development, 4th Ed.. Washington DC. Congressional Quarterly Press. ISBN-10: 1-56802-739-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-56802-739-5 Various items placed on reserve in the Roy O. West (Main) Library and/or available via the web at JSTOR (available free through the Library). Objectives and Outcomes: 1. To acquaint students with an historical understanding of the evolution of the American Presidency. 2. To increase knowledge of the various methods and theories employed in the study of the presidency offered by political scientists. 3. To provide a more thorough understanding of what the executive branch of the US government does, and how it does it. 4. To offer students the opportunity to apply this knowledge. 5. To afford students an opportunity to critically think about how presidents behavior affects the presidency as an institution. 6. To impart to students the background necessary for making informed judgments about the current and past administrations (as well as prospective administrations). 7. To introduce students to classic and contemporary research in the field. 8. To encourage students to participate actively as global citizens and researchers. Examinations and Grading: Your performance determines your course grade in the following manner: 100 points possible = Midterm Exam 100 points possible = Final Exam 50 points possible = First Paper (Candidate Profile) 50 points possible = Second Paper (Institutional Contribution) 100 points possible = Third Paper (Confidential Memo) 100 points possible = Participation 500 points possible = Total Test Grades: This course involves a total of two (2) examinations. Each exam covers the readings, the classroom notes, class discussions, and current events. These exams are closed book, closed note. Papers: This class also requires three papers. The first paper is a Candidate Profile of one of the 2008 presidential candidates of your choice. After narrowing down the broad field of candidates to the one of your choosing, this paper will give you credit for researching this individual. Begin by presenting a brief biography of the candidate. This biography should discuss general background characteristics of the candidate, where they were raised, education, religion, prior positions held, etc.. Then discuss their political affiliation and ideology (i.e. how liberal or conservative they are). This section should discuss voting history, NPAT, Political Courage Tests taken, as well as endorsements, etc.. Next, discuss their campaign contributors. Where is the money for this expensive campaign coming from? Be specific. Delve deeper than just the sectors and discuss individuals, PACs, and business contributions. Sources such as www.vote-smart.org, www.opensecrets.org, and the candidate’s website will likely provide important information for this assignment. Be careful, astute, and remain objective. Be sure and question the information gained, especially that presented by the candidate’s campaign. Finally, describe current media coverage of the candidate. Have they run into any stumbling blocks? What sort of media coverage are they receiving, and is the coverage positive or negative? Where does the coverage place them in the “horse-race?” Finally, conclude by discussing the candidate’s success (or lack thereof) in the primaries/caucuses and their prospects for receiving the party’s nomination. Institutional Contribution: This paper should be a short (5 paragraph) argumentative essay that persuades its reader which president makes the most important contribution to the presidency as an institution. Following from our study of the institution in an historical perspective, this paper allows you to demonstrate that you have mastered the theoretical concepts and the evolution of the office. Your choice should be based in, and argued from, the theories discussed thus far in the term. Be sure and conclude by not only reasserting your thesis and reasoning, but also by allaying critics as to why your choice makes the most important contribution to the institution. Confidential Memo: This assignment essentially combines all that you have learned this term into one final product. It should be approximately 10-15 pages in length. By this point in the electoral cycle the two parties will have good indicators of which candidate they will choose. You must assign yourself as an advisor to one of them (this should coincide with your choice for the first paper). This paper should be written as a “Confidential Memo” to your chosen candidate in the 2008 presidential elections. It should detail 1) an appraisal of the campaign thus far, 2) your recommendations for a successful win of the 2008 election (which may mean as an independent, or a VP candidate), and 3) your recommendations for the future (either as a new administration upon taking office, or as a contender for the next go-round). Remember that delivering on campaign promises can be a very useful tool for a new administration. Thus continuity (or an appearance thereof) should resound throughout the proposal. How should your candidate proceed to win the election? How should they proceed with the legacy left by the Bush administration? This paper should discuss the theories presented in this course and should be supplemented by additional research as well. Participation Grade: The determination of the participation portion of your grade first involves attendance. The necessity of attending every class session thus reflects in this portion of your grade. This participation portion also involves your active contribution to class discussions. Class participation provides the opportunity of receiving an “A” in this course. Therefore, I establish some guidelines for discussion. Concern your comments with the topics concerning the American Congress. An open manner conducts this discussion. Feel free to disagree with me, the readings, the institutions and political actions discussed, and with your classmates. However, this discussion reflects the collegiate atmosphere in that it unfolds in an intelligent manner and you must support your opinion with facts (that may mean research). Interruption, use of slurs and making fun of other students encounters strict prohibition. Participation also requires students to keep informed of current events. Students are also expected to remain informed regarding news from the West Wing, as well as the campaign trail. Reputable newspapers (such as the New York Times) remain important sources of such information. The final aspect of the participation portion of your grade involves the Moodle presence for this course. Students will be expected to interact with the course’s Moodle presence on a regular basis. Moodle will serve as: the course’s web presence, a blog and discussion forum, as well as access to E-reserves and other pertinent course information. Technology: All personal communications devices (i.e. cell phones, Blackberries, etc.) are to be turned off prior to entering the classroom. Utilizing these devices during regular class time will result in a reduction on that day’s attendance score, and during test periods will be treated as cheating. I do not mind use of laptops for note-taking or in conjunction with internet resources I may discuss in class. However, abuse of this policy (i.e. checking E-mail, IM-ing, etc.) will necessitate revision of this policy (which may include banning laptops all together). Technology should aid in our academic endeavor, not hinder it. |
| All work requires standard grammatical English and prompt attention to due dates. I cannot grade what I cannot read. If I cannot read an assignment I ask you once to rewrite it, and after that first warning you either receive a reduced grade or no credit. Cheating and plagiarism also encounter strict prohibition and require that I deal with them according to DePauw University policy and procedure. |
| Course and Topic Outline:
Tuesday, 1/29/08 Introduction, Conceiving the Office, and Research of the Presidency Read: King, Gary. 1993. “The Methodology of Presidential Research.” In George C.Edwards III, John H. Kessel, and Bert A. Rockman (eds.). Researching the Presidency. Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 387-412. (Handout). Thursday, 1/31/08 His Excellency, I mean, Mr. President Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapters 1 & 2. Read also: The US Constitution Tuesday, 2/5/08 Making Presidents Out of Paper, Competing Perspectives Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 3 & 4. Thursday, 2/7/08 To the Victor Go the Spoils, the Jacksonian Way Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 5. Tuesday, 2/12/08 A Glimpse of the Future, Lincoln as Politician Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 6; Read also: Riker, William H.. 1986. “Preface” and “Chapter 1: Lincoln at Freeport.” in The Art of Political Manipulation. New Haven. Yale University Press. pp. ix-10. (E-Reserve). Candidate Profile Paper Due Thursday, 2/14/08 No Class – Instructor is Attending MMUN Conference. Tuesday, 2/19/08 Rhetoric Fails, Then Returns, Speaking Softly and Carrying a Big Stick Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 7 & 8. Thursday, 2/21/08 Impediments to Vision, that Pesky Congress Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 9; Read also: Tulis, Jeffrey K.. 2000. “The Two Constitutional Presidencies.” In Michael Nelson (ed.). The Presidency and the Political System, 6/E. Washington DC. CQ Press. pp. 93-124. (E-Reserve). Tuesday, 2/26/08 The Presidency Under a “Return to Normalcy” Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 10. Read also: Barber, James D.. 1969. “Classifying and Predicting Presidential Styles.” In Aaron Wildavsky (ed.). The Presidency. Boston. Little, Brown and Company. pp. 94-120. (E-Reserve). Thursday, 2/28/08 The Benchmark of Modernity, and Review Read: Pfiffner, Chapter 1. Tuesday, 3/4/08 TEST I Thursday, 3/6/08 The Consolidation of “The Modern Presidency” Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 11; Read also: Ragsdale, Lyn and John J. Theis, III. 1997. “The Institutionalization of the American Presidency, 1924-92.” American Journal of Political Science. Vol. 41, No. 4. pp. 1280-1318. (JSTOR). Tuesday, 3/11/08 Checking the Polls Read: Pfiffner, pp. 45-54; Read also: Neustadt, Richard E.. 1990. “The Power to Persuade.” In Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents: The Politics of Leadership from Roosevelt to Reagan. New York. The Free Press. pp. 29-49. (E-Reserve). Read also: Bachrach, Peter, and Morton S. Baratz. 1962. "Two Faces of Power." The American Political Science Review. Vol. 56, No. 4. pp. 947-952. (JSTOR). Read also: Mueller, John E.. Mar. 1970. “Presidential Popularity from Truman to Johnson.” The American Political Science Review. Vol. 64, No. 1. pp. 18-34. (JSTOR). Thursday, 3/13/08 Personality and the Power of TV Since Kennedy Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 12; Read also: Edwards, George C., III, and B. Dan Wood. 1999. “Who Influences Whom: The President, Congress, and the Media.” The American Political Science Review. Vol. 93, No. 2. pp. 327-344. (JSTOR). Read also: Ragsdale, Lyn.1984. "The Politics of Presidential Speechmaking, 1949-1980." The American Political Science Review. Vol. 78, No. 4. pp. 971-984. (JSTOR). Tuesday, 3/18/08 A Rhetorical Climax? – The Great Communicator Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 13; Read also: Kernell, Samuel. 1997. “Preface” and “Chapter 1: Introduction: Going Public in Theory and Practice.” In Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership, 3/E. Washington DC. CQ Press. pp. ix-10. (E-Reserve). Thursday, 3/20/08 Politics as Politics, The Slick Willy Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 14. Tuesday, 3/25/08 No Class – Spring Break. Thursday, 3/27/08 No Class – Spring Break. Tuesday, 4/1/08 The Power of “W” Read: Milkis and Nelson, Chapter 15. Thursday, 4/3/08 No Class – Instructor is Attending MPSA Annual Meeting. Tuesday, 4/8/08 Persons, Institutions, or Cycles in Political Time? Read: Skowronek, Stephen. 2000. “Presidential Leadership in Political Time.” In Michael Nelson (ed.). The Presidency and the Political System, 6/E. Washington DC. CQ Press. pp. 125-170. (E-Reserve). Institutional Contribution Paper Due Thursday, 4/10/08 The Who? Read: Pfiffner, Chapter 3. Tuesday, 4/15/08 Institutionalized Bureaucracy Read: Pfiffner, Chapter 4 & 5. Thursday, 4/17/08 Domestic Policy Relations With Congress (Leader v. Led). Read: Pfiffner, Chapter 6; Read also: Light, Paul Charles. 1982. “Introduction.” In The President’s Agenda: Domestic Policy Choice from Kennedy to Carter (With Notes on Ronald Reagan). Baltimore. The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1-12. (E-Reserve). Tuesday, 4/22/08 Foreign Policy Relations With Congress (Leader v. Led) Read: Pfiffner, Chapter 7. Read also: Smith, Randall D.. forthcoming. (Moodle). Thursday, 4/24/08 TEST II Tuesday, 4/29/08 “Oops I Did it Again” vs. “25 or 6 to 4” Read: Pfiffner, Chapter 8. Thursday, 5/1/08 Sending Your Vote to College Read: Pfiffner, pp. 19-43; Read also: Federalist # 68; Read also: Polsby, Nelson W. and Aaron Wildavsky, 2004. “Chapter 3: Rules and Money.” in Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics. Boulder. Rowman and Littlefield. pp. 51-86. (E-Reserve); Review: Milkis and Nelson, pp. 405-411. Tuesday, 5/6/08 Keeping the Ball Rolling Read: Polsby, Nelson W. and Aaron Wildavsky, 2004. “Chapter 4: The Nomination Process.” in Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics. Boulder. Rowman and Littlefield. pp. 89-136. (E-Reserve); Read also: Graber, Doris A.. 1997. "Chapter 8" in Mass Media and American Politics. CQ Press. Washington, DC.. pp. 228-268. (E-Reserve). Thursday, 5/8/08 What a Campaign … Read: Polsby, Nelson W. and Aaron Wildavsky, 2004. “Chapter 5: The Campaign.” in Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics. Boulder. Rowman and Littlefield. pp. 137-191. (E-Reserve). Saturday – Friday, 5/10-15/08 Final Examination Period, Confidential Memo Due |
| This syllabus remains subject to change at the instructor’s discretion, without prior notice.
Students with disabilities who require accommodations for access and participation in this course must be registered with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at (765) 658-6267, and let me know so that appropriate accommodations may be made. |
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