Spring 2000

 

Professor Margaret Susan Thompson                  Jongpil (“JP”) Chung, T.A.

Office: 313C Maxwell Hall, x. 5882                                  Office: 025 Eggers Hall, x. 9928

      [Messages—History Dept., x. 2210]                                [Messages—PSC Dept., x. 2416]

e-mail: msthomps@twcny.rr.com                                    e-mail: jchung07@maxwell.syr.edu

Office hours—Tu: 2:30-3:30, Th: 11:45-12:45,                   Office hours—M: 1-2, F: 1-2,

                               & by appt.                                                                  & by appt.

 

HST341/PSC329: The Modern Presidency

 

Required Books (available at Follett’s Orange Bookstore):

HST341/PSC329 READER (photocopy packet)

Michael Nelson, ed., The Presidency & the Political System, 5th edition

William Leuchtenburg, In the Shadow of FDR: From Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan, rev. ed.

Jonathan Schell, The Time of Illusion

George Reedy, The Twilight of the Presidency, 2nd ed. (bound photocopy)

James Fallows, Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy

--NOTE: There is also a READER SUPPLEMENT, which contains materials also accessible on the Web.  Purchase of this is optional; however, the readings in it are required. There also will be occasional handouts.

 

READINGS, ATTENDANCE, AND PARTICIPATION.  Students are expected to attend class regularly, and are responsible for all material covered and for all handouts and any announcements that are made. It should be noted that lectures will cover much material not contained in the readings, so if you must miss a class you should borrow notes from a classmate.

While emergencies are unavoidable, normally students are expected to be present and seated  when class begins at 1 p.m., and to remain for the entire class. If, for extraordinary reasons, you know that you must leave class early, please inform the TA or professor in advance, and sit near the door and on the aisle.

     Students are encouraged to participate in discussions (both scheduled and unscheduled), and should feel free to ask questions at any time (within reason) during class. You should also be aware that all class meetings will assume prior familiarity with pertinent readings; therefore, you should try to complete the readings before the date for which they are assigned. IMPORTANT: Readings in this course are unequally distributed. Don't get discouraged--but do try to plan ahead. Besides, the readings for this course are interesting!

     We will devote a substantial amount of time to discussion. The focus will be on current political developments, in addition to any questions students may have about the assigned readings and the day’s formal focus. To make this both lively and useful, students are urged to come prepared—with questions, insights, etc. [Please note: Discussions may be initiated by students, as well as the professor or TA—so be assertive!  However, the professor reserves the right to cut discussion off, postpone it, or redirect it when that seems appropriate.]

     One more point: Since this course is very much about history-in-progress, unanticipated or as-yet-unscheduled events naturally may claim our attention. Believe it or not, flexibility to account for this has been built into the daily schedule. But, if necessary, the schedule will be reworked during the semester if things change dramatically—as they almost certainly will..

 

OFFICE HOURS/CONFERENCES. Both of us will be available during regular office hours to meet with you about specific questions you might have or about matters of more general relevance. If you cannot meet during those hours, we will be happy to schedule appointments at other, mutually convenient, times. IMPORTANT: Drop-ins are welcome. But if you have arranged a specific appointment and find that you cannot make it, please call to cancel; if you can't reach us directly by phone or e-mail, call the History (for MST) or Political Science (for JPC) Department to leave a message!   And, of course, you are always free to contact us via e-mail; both of us check our e-mail at least once a day.

 

 

PAPERS.  There will be two short papers in this course. Each is to be 5-7 double-spaced, typewritten pages in length. The due dates are February 15 and April 13. Topics, as well as general guidelines for writing papers, will be distributed and discussed well in advance of due dates. Topics will provide plenty of room for originality!

 

TESTS.  There will be two exams in this course. The midterm (Thursday, March 9) will be an in-class, closed-book test. The final will be take-home, and due on May 8, with questions distributed on the last day of class. The final will stress material covered after the midterm, but at least one section will be cumulative. All questions will be in essay form, and the emphasis will be on your ability to integrate and analyze general themes and ideas (not on regurgitation of facts!). In virtually all cases, you will have a choice among questions to answer, and review sessions will be provided if students desire them.

 

"MODPREZ".  To facilitate discussion both of the current campaign and of the course, an internet discussion group has been created for this course. All students are strongly encouraged to sign up for and participate in MODPREZ, which is the name of this group. We will collect your e-mail addresses during the first week of class; once you receive a message that you're "on,"     you're welcome to participate by sending messages to: modprez@listserv.syr.edu

 

WEBSITE: A special website has been created for this class. The URL is:

http://www.oocities.org/Wellesley/1114/341home.html  In addition to course-related materials and announcements, check this site for useful links to other political, governmental, and media sites. Suggestions for sites (or other information) to add here will be received gratefully at any time.

 

DEADLINES AND EXTENSIONS. To forestall problems and misunderstandings later on, here is the policy: Since you are receiving due dates and so on at the beginning of the term, it is assumed that you will plan accordingly, and will consider potential conflicts with other courses and extracurricular commitments. Therefore, extensions will be granted only in extraordinary or emergency circumstances, and (except in dire emergencies), only if specific circumstances are explained in advance to the professor or TA. Grades on papers that are turned in after the beginning of class on the due date (without prior permission) will automatically be lowered at least one letter in grade (more, if tardiness is extended). NO unexcused late papers will be accepted more than one week after the original due date. Similarly, if you absolutely can't take the midterm or final on the scheduled date, please make arrangements with the professor well before its date. If you have an accident, or are suddenly ill, etc., and cannot make advance provision, you must present written explanation, signed by either physician or dean, as soon as you can. It is my hope that this covers all contingencies, and that it helps to have things in writing....

 

GRADES. The relative weight of each component of this course is as follows. In addition, improvement over time, and/or extraordinary performance (good or bad!) in one or more areas, will be considered--especially in borderline cases.

 

     Paper I-------------------------------------------------------------- 20%

     Paper II------------------------------------------------------------- 20%

     Midterm Test------------------------------------------------------ 20%

     Final Exam--------------------------------------------------------- 30%

     Attendance/Participation/Improvement--------------------- 10%

 

 

DAILY SCHEDULE

 

[NOTE: In addition to what is listed below, students are expected to keep themselves informed! It is suggested that, at a minimum, you read a daily newspaper and at least one weekly magazine of commentary, and watch television news (nightly and analysis programs) on a regular basis. [A wide variety of newpapers and magazines are available in Bird Library; more is accessible via the internet, and selected links are provided on our class website.] Relevant television programs and/or periodical articles that appear during the semester will be announced in class. Additionally, we will build in discussion of candidate debates, caucuses and primaries, etc.

 

TU 1/18  Introduction to the Course

             Distribution of Handouts, signup for “MODPREZ,” discussion of expectations, etc.

 

TH 1/20  What Is “Presidential Greatness”?

             Readings—Polls of Presidential “Greatness” (handout)

                               Nelson: Essay #1 (Nelson).

 

TU 1/25  Concepts of the Presidency, I

            Readings—Three Presidential Views of Presidential Power (handout)

                              Nelson: Essay #2 (Ragsdale).

 

TH 1/27  Concepts of the Presidency, II

            Readings—Nelson: Essays #5, 7, 17 (Skowronek, Nelson, Peterson)

 

TU 2/1 “Two Presidencies”: Two Perspectives

            Readings—Nelson: Essay #4 (Tulis)

                              READER: pp. 1-9

 

TH 2/3  FDR and the Charismatic Cure: Toward the Cult of Personality

            Readings—Leuchtenburg: Preface.

                              Nelson: Essay #14 (Milkis)

      FDR, “First Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres49.html)

 

TU 2/8   “In the Shadow of FDR”: Defining the “Modern” Presidency

            Readings—Leuchtenburg: chaps. 1-2

                              Nelson: Essays #6 & 15 (Quirk, Burke)

                              READER: pp. 10-15

      Nixon, “’Checkers’ Speech” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/nixon-checkers.htm)

                              Eisenhower, “Farewell Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/de34/speeches/farew.htm)

 

TH 2/10  JFK and the Politics of “Vigah”

            Readings—Leuchtenburg: chap. 3.

      JFK, “Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html)

                              READER: pp. 14-42

 

TU 2/15  FIRST PAPER DUE

Butter and Guns: The Presidencies of Lyndon Johnson

Readings—Leuchtenburg, chap. 4

                  READER: pp. 43-52

                  Tonkin Gulf Resolution (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://students.vassar.edu/~vietnam/doc9.html)

                   LBJ, “Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres57.html)

                               [Suggestion: Start Reedy.]

 

TH 2/17  “Twilight of the Presidency”—or, Where did LBJ Go Wrong?

            Readings—READER: pp. 53-75

                              Reedy: Introduction, chaps. 1-5

 

TU 2/22 The Concept of an “Imperial” Presidency

            Readings—Reedy: finish

 

TH 2/24 “Bring Us Together”: The Notion of a “New Nixon”

            Readings—Schell: Prologue, chaps. 1-3

                              Leuchtenburg: chap. 5.

                              Nixon, “First Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres58.html)

 

TU 2/29 “Responsibility But Not Blame”: The “Long National Nightmare”

            Readings—Schell: chaps. 4-5

                              Nixon, “Second Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres59.html)

                              READER: pp. 84-97

 

TH 3/2  The Meaning(s) of “Watergate”: Toward a Post-Modern Presidency

            Readings—Schell: chap. 6

                              READER: pp. 76-83

 

TU 3/7 “A Time To Heal”: Gerald Ford and the Unelected Presidency

            Readings—READER: pp. 98-130

 

TH 3/9  MIDTERM TEST

 

TU 3/21 ”Why Not the Best?”: Jimmy Carter and the Politics of Moralism

            Readings—READER: pp. 131-134

       Carter, “Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres60.html)

                               Fallows, “The Passionless Presidency, Part I” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/pres/fallpass.htm)

                                Leuchtenburg: chap. 6

 

TH 3/23  “A Government as Good as the People(?)”: The Downfall of Jimmy Carter

            Readings—READER: 135-137 (review pp. 131-34), 138-144

                              Nelson: Essay #16 (Moe)

 

TU 3/28  Reagan’s “New Beginning”: The Triumph of Politics

            Readings—Ronald Reagan, “First Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres61.html)

                               Greider, “The Education of David Stockman” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/classics/stockman.htm)

                                Leuchtenburg: chap. 7

                               READER: p. 145

 

TH 3/30  From Euphoria to Iran-Contra: Was There a “Reagan Revolution”?

            Readings—READER: pp. 146-171

                               Reagan, “Second Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres62.html)

                               Lou Cannon: “Framework for the Iran-Contra Affair” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.oocities.org/Wellesley/1116/cannon.html)

 

TU 4/4  The “No-Hands” President—or, What Did Reagan Know, & When Did He Know It?

            Readings—READER: pp. 172-201

                              Nelson: Essay #8 (Grossman, et al.)

 

TH 4/6  “Read My Lips”: George Bush and the Politics of Low Expectations

            Readings—READER: pp. 202-211

                               Nelson: Essay #11 (Miroff)

 

TU 4/11 Toward 1992: A “New World Order”—or a New President?

            Readings—READER: pp. 212-246

                               Bush, “Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres63.html)

 

TH 4/13 SECOND PAPER DUE

            “Out of Order”: Media—Mirror, Manipulator, or Menace?

            Readings—Fallows: Introduction, chaps. 1-2

 

TU 4/18 “A Place Called Hope(?)”: Bill Clinton’s Rocky (Freshman-Year) Road

            Readings—READER: pp. 247-256

      Nelson: Essay #9 (Buchanan)

      Clinton, “First Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres64.html)

                              Fallows: chaps. 3-5

 

TH 4/20  Sophomore Slump & “The Comeback Kid”: “Newt Frontier” & Clinton’s Recovery

            Readings—Nelson: Essay #13 (Ginsburg, et al.)    

                              READER: pp. 257-264

                              Fallows: chap. 6, Epilogue

 

TU 4/25  1996: From Vindication to Zippergate

            Readings—READER: pp. 265-290

      Nelson: Essay #10 (Weko & Aldrich)

                              Clinton, “Second Inaugural Address” (SUPPLEMENT, or at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/html/1997-01-20.html) 

TH 4/27 From Impeachment to “Clinton Fatigue”—What Did (Does) It All Mean?

            Readings—READER: pp. 291-305

 

TU 5/2  To the Future: Continuity—or Convolution?

            Readings—TBA (if any)

            DISTRIBUTION OF TAKE-HOME FINAL EXAMINATION

 

NOTE: The final exam is take-home, and will be due on Monday, May 8, at 11 a.m.