Vanderbilt University: PSCI 245 - THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY : John G. Geer

PSCI 245 - THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

PSCI 245 - THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY
Political Science 245 Spring 2001 MWF 10:10-11:00am (and assigned discussion section)	John Geer Calhoun 308 343-5746
Geer's Office Hours: MW 11:00-11:30pm, M 1:00-3:00pm, and by appointment E-Mail: john.g.geer@vanderbilt.edu TA's Office Hours: TBA
This course provides students with an understanding of the American president. The occupants of this elected office not only possess a tremendous amount of power, they draw more attention from the news media than any other individual in the country (and perhaps in the world). Every move of a president is watch, discussed, and debated. Because the presidency holds center stage in American politics, scholars have spent a good deal of timing studying the workings of this institution and the actions of the people who sit behind that influencial desk. Those scholarly efforts have left a rich and interesting account of the Presidency. We will rely on that research as we undertake our exploration. In fact, two of your assigned books come from scholars who are major figures in the field. Our study of the presidency will, unfortunately, be incomplete. In a 14-week semester, we simply do not have enough time to cover every aspect of this institution. Instead, we will focus on particular parts of it. Given the outcome of the 2000 elections and that we are about to swear in a new president, this course will take advantage of this unique political environment. So, for example, we shall assess the successes and failures of previous Presidents, with an eye to understanding the prospects of President-elect Bush. Furthermore, it is essential that we spend time on discussing how presidents get elected to this office. We shall take stock of how our electoral system works and whether it works well. Besides making use of the current political situation, this course will cover the some of the basics of the Presidency, such as the Founders' plans for the chief executive and how they make policy decisions. We shall accomplish these many goals with a class that is far larger than normal. The election and its aftermath have generated a great deal of interest in the presidency. But with a class of over 150, we face some constraints. For example, we will not be able to have small discussion sections or anything that approaches a seminar format. Rather, I shall lecture three times a week on relevant topics. I hope you will work with this arrangement. Please do not let the size keep you from asking questions during class or from making use of my time or that of my trusty teaching assistants. After some thought and discussion, I decided it would be better to adjust the course to the enrollment rather than have the College "unenroll" over half of you. I thought the latter was unfair, especially in light of what I suspect (hope?) is a once in a life time event-a president who lost the popular vote, who then needed help from the courts to secure a victory in the Electoral College, and now faces an evenly divided, although Republican, Congress. It is a fascinating set of circumstances. There are a number of requirements in this course. First, you will complete two midterms (each worth 20% of your grade) and one final (worth 30%). Second, you will write 2 short papers about 4-5 pages in length-each worth 15% of your grade. For the short papers, you will a choice. There will be three topics to select from over the course of the semester. It will be up to you to decide which two topics you want to write about. I will provide more details about the papers and the exams as the semester unfolds.
Assigned Reading: Kernell, Going Public, 3rd ed Greenstein, The Presidential Difference Witcover, No Way to Pick a President Class Assignments: January 10th: Organizational Meeting January 12th to 17th: The Changing Institutional Setting: From the Founders to the Present Day Reading: Kernell chapters 1 and 2 January 19th to February 7th: Getting to be President Reading: Witcover, the whole book First Short Paper due: February 5th Topic: Write a memo to Gore or Bush advising them on 2004 campaign. First Midterm Examination: February 9th February 12th to March 23rd: Working as President Reading: Kernell, Chapters 3-6 Second Short Paper Due: March 19th Topic: Assess the prospects for Bush "going public" in 2001. Second Midterm Examination: March 23rd March 26th to April 23rd: Assessing the President Reading: Greenstein, the whole book Third Short Paper Due: April 20th Topic: Using Greenstein's criteria, assess Bush's chances of becoming a great leader Final Examination, Tuesday May 1st, 9am (The alternate will not be offered)