Office: Room 1723 HW
Office Hours: Monday, 1:15-3:00 and by appointment
Phone: (212) 772-5507
e-mail: apolsky@hunter.cuny.edu
http://urban.hunter.cuny.edu/~apolsky/
 

    Presidents are the subject of much media attention and everyday political conversation. Given the central role a president plays in the American political system and in the international arena, this fixation on the White House is understandable. However, journalistic and popular views of the White House often emphasize the most immediate events surrounding a particular president and personalize the office so that it becomes synonymous with one individual. This course proceeds instead from the assumption that much insight can be gained from analytical frameworks that treat the presidency as an institution shaped by systemic and historical factors.

    We will open with an examination of individual-level and institutional approaches that can be used to explore similarities and differences among presidents. The second unit of the course will consist of a careful historical examination of the presidency, during which we will apply the analytical approaches to determine their uses and limits. The final unit will take up the relationship in our era between the presidency and the citizenry and the interactions between the presidency and other key national policymaking institutions. Reflecting a central theme of the presidency in recent years, we will devote special attention this term to the president's role as commander in chief.

Course Objectives

    This course has both a substantive focus and developmental goals. The syllabus is designed to introduce students to challenging analytical perspectives on the presidency that can illuminate broad historical patterns and contemporary trends. In substantive terms, students at the end of the term will know a good deal more about the presidency, its role in the American political system, its development over time, and how presidents today deal with the challenges of governing in the face of high public expectations. At the same time, this course aims to improve your critical thinking skills, understood here to mean your capacity to grasp abstract concepts and theories, to appreciate how such concepts and theories can be translated into concrete empirical claims, and to come to grips with the difficulty of using evidence to evaluate the validity of empirical claims. You will be pressed to "interrogate" evidence - to ask questions about whether it is conclusive or indeterminate, to reconcile conflicting evidence that seems to support different theories (or no theory), and to consider why particular authors select certain evidence and omit other material. Finally, the written assignments and exams are designed to improve different writing skills, including your ability to summarize the main points of an argument succinctly, to explain theories clearly, and to make an argument in which you state a thesis and support it through the use of evidence.

Accessability

    In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/ or Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1124 to secure necessary academic accommodations. For further information and assistance please call (212- 772- 4857)/TTY (212- 650- 3230).

Statement on Academic Integrity

    Hunter College is strongly committed to the principle that students should do their own work, give proper credit for information gained from any source, and acknowledge any help received in completing assignments. I will pursue any suspected violations on written assignments (including non-graded ones) through the college's formal mechanism for adjudicating such cases and seek the most severe penalties permitted under college policy. Students may be asked to submit their papers to a plagiarism detection service.

Course Requirements

    1) Complete assigned reading before class meetings (see schedule below). We will not recapitulate readings in class, but use them instead as a springboard for analytical and critical discussions.

    2) Attend class regularly and on time. No student shall be permitted to enter the classroom late; I will treat such lateness as an unexcused absence. Students who miss three or more classes without a valid, documented reason shall be penalized. (See below under grading.)

    3) Participate in class discussions. In this course we examine, apply, and test theories about the presidency. To develop your own capacity to assess and use evidence, you need to engage it actively. You will have the opportunity to do so in different discussion formats, including sessions in which we divide into small working groups for some or most of the class. I usually select a student from each group to report on the group's findings.

    4) Prepare nine brief reading summaries (two-page maximum) over the course of the semester. For the proper summary format and guidance on what a summary should include, see "Reading Summaries,"which can be found on-line at http://urban.hunter.cuny.edu/~apolsky/ SUMMARY.htm. The summaries must be submitted at the start of the class in which we will discuss the assigned reading; they may not be transmitted via e-mail or fax. If you miss a class, even for a valid reason, you may not submit a summary late. Thus, if you are absent and have done a summary, you must arrange to have someone else deliver it or do another one for a class later in the term. You may submit only one summary per class. To make sure you do not fall behind, you should submit at least five summaries before the spring recess. If I find a summary inadequate (usually because it is too vague, based only on the first few pages of the reading, or too long), I will reject it and you will need to do another one. Where more than one reading is assigned for a class, I usually specify in advance which one(s) to summarize. I may also divide the class and assign different readings to be summarized for different groups. If you miss a class, then, contact me via e-mail to learn which reading to summarize for the next class. Individual summaries are not graded, but completion of the required number factors into the class participation component of the grade (see below).

    5) Complete all written assignments. Written work for the course consists of three essay exams (one a take-home exam) and one research-based essay of 7-9 pages. The first exam will follow the first unit of the course, roughly five weeks into the term; the second test will follow the second unit. The final exam will be a take-home essay of 5-7 pages due at the scheduled time of the final exam. The paper assignment will be distributed early in the semester, with the paper itself due shortly before the spring recess. I will distribute the paper assignment early in the semester. You will have an opportunity to rewrite the essay based upon my comments to earn a higher grade.

Grading

    In computing your course grade, each of the four written assignments (three exams, one paper) and the class participation grade will be given equal weight. Thus you will have five grades upon which the final grade shall be based. If you submit the paper rewrite, the new grade will replace the one you received initially on that assignment. No extra credit work will be accepted.
    Class participation will be based on timely submission of summaries, attendance, and regular contributions to discussion. Submission of the nine summaries and consistent attendance establish a base participation grade of B. Your active, informed contributions in discussion will improve this. Three or more unexcused absences will lower the participation grade by one-third of a letter grade, rising to one full letter grade for five or more absences. Failure to submit the required nine summaries also lowers the participation grade by one-third of a letter, increasing to one full letter for fewer than seven. Be sure to submit summaries regularly so you do not fall behind. Remember that you cannot submit more than one summary per class; thus, you cannot catch up at the end of the semester. (Students with more than ten unexcused absences and who submit three or fewer summaries will receive an F for class participation.)
    I expect you to complete written assignments on time. If you miss an exam, you will be permitted to take a make-up test only when you have a valid excuse supported by written documentation. Late papers, without a documented, valid excuse, will be penalized through grade deductions and loss of the right to revise the paper for a better grade. Incompletes will be granted only with a documented excuse and only for a limited time (usually no longer than the time you were incapacitated), the duration to be set at the time the incomplete is approved.
    Note on credit/no credit grading: College rules specify that to be eligible for credit/no credit, students must complete all course requirements. In this course, students who wish to be graded on the credit/no credit system must take both in-class exams, submit the paper assignment on time, submit at least five summaries, and attempt the final. Failure to do all these things will void a credit/no credit request, and a conventional letter grade will be entered instead.

Books

    This course relies upon two books and a number of articles that have assembled in a course pack. The following titles have been ordered for purchase at Shakespeare Books on Lexington Avenue between 68th and 69th Streets:

    Sidney M. Milkis and Michael Nelson, The American Presidency: Origins and Development, 1776-1998, 4th ed. (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2003).
    Michael Nelson, The Presidency and the Political System, 8th ed. (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2006).

    You may be able to save money on books by purchasing used copies on line, but it is important that you have the correct editions.
    The course pack, which contains all other assigned readings, will also be available for purchase at the bookstore. One copy of the course pack will be placed on reserve. Individual readings will not be placed on reserve.
 

Schedule of Class Assignments

    The dates below are only approximate. As this schedule is subject to revision, students are responsible for keeping up with any announced changes, including changes in test dates. If you miss a class, e-mail me to confirm the next assignment and to learn which reading to summarize.

January 29th. Introduction and Overview.
    Michael Nelson, "Evaluating the Presidency," Nelson # 1 [This notation indicates the number of the reading in the Nelson anthology, The Presidency and the Political System].
 

Part One: Frameworks for the Study of the Presidency

February 1st. The Personal Touch: Character, Background, and Leadership Skills.
    Joseph A. Pika, John Anthony Maltese, and Norman C. Thomas, "Presidential Character and Performance," in The Politics of the Presidency, 5th ed. (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2002), pp. 123-69. [course pack]

February 5th and 8th. The Constitutional and Modern Presidencies.
    Bert Rockman, "Entrepreneur in the Constitutional Marketplace: The Development of the Presidency," in Peter Nardulli, ed., The Constitution and American Political Development: An Institutional Perspective (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1992), pp. 97-120. [course pack]
    Jeffrey K. Tulis, "The Two Constitutional Presidencies," Nelson #3
    Fred I. Greenstein, "Change and Continuity in the Modern Presidency," in Anthony King, ed., The New American Political System (Washington, DC: AEI, 1979) pp. 45-86. [course pack]
    William G. Howell, Power Without Persuasion: The Politics of Direct Presidential Action (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003), chap. 1 "Presidential Power in the Modern Era," pp. 1-23. [course pack]

February 12th. No class (Lincoln's Birthday).

February 15th. Beyond the Traditional/Modern Dichotomy.
    Terry Bimes and Quinn Mulroy, "The Rise and Decline of Presidential Populism," Studies in American Political Development 18 (2) (Fall 2004): 136-59. [course pack]

February 19th. No class (President's Day).

February 21st (Wednesday) and 22nd. Presidents and Partisan Regimes.
    Stephen Skowronek, "Notes on the Presidency in the Political Order," Studies in American Political Development 1 (1986): 286-302. [course pack]
    Stephen Skowronek, "Presidential Leadership In Political Time," Nelson #4.
    Andrew J. Polsky, "The 1996 Elections and the Logic of Regime Politics," Polity 30 (1) (Fall 1997): 153-66. [course pack]

March 1st. First Examination.
 

Part Two: The Presidency in Historical Perspective

February 26th. Designing the Presidency.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chaps. 1-2.

March 5th. From Theory to Practice: The Presidency of George Washington.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chap. 3.
    Stanley Elkins and Eric McKitrick, "Advise and Consent," in The Age of Federalism: The Early American Republic, 1788-1800 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), pp. 55-58. [course pack]

March 8th. The Presidency in the Early American Party Systems.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chaps. 4-5.

March 12th and 15th. Crisis Leadership: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chap. 6.
    James M. McPherson, Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), Chap. 4 "Lincoln and the Strategy of Unconditional Surrender," pp. 65-91. [course pack]
    Abraham Lincoln to Erastus Corning and Others, June 12, 1863. [course pack]
    Abraham Lincoln to Albert G. Hodges, April 4, 1864. [course pack]

March 19th. Restoring the Traditional Presidency.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chap. 7.
    James Bryce, "Why Great Men Are Not Chosen President," in Bryce, The American Commonwealth, vol. 1 (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1995), pp. 69-75. [course pack]

March 22nd. Roots of the Modern Presidency.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chaps. 8-9.

March 26th and 29th. The New Deal, World War, and the Expanded Presidency.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chaps. 10-11.
    Stephen Ambrose, "Just Dumb Luck," in Americans at War (Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi Press, 1997), pp. 57-66. [course pack]

April 2nd, 5th, and 9th. No class (Spring Vacation).
    April 12th and 16th. The Modern Presidency: Crisis and Recovery.
    Milkis and Nelson, American Presidency, chap. 12-15.

April 23rd. Second Examination.
 

Part Three: The Contemporary Presidency

April 19th. Presidential Elections.
    William M. Lunch, "Presidential Elections," chap. 2 in The Nationalization of American Politics, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987), pp. 31-62. [course pack]
    Richard Pious, "The Presidency and the Nominating Process: Politics and Power," Nelson #7.
    John H. Aldrich, John D. Griffin, and Jill Rickershauser, "The Presidency and the Election Campaign: Altering Voters' Priorities in the 2004 Election," Nelson #8

April 26th and 30th. Mobilizing Public Support I: The Media and the Mass Public.
    Bruce Miroff, "The Presidency and the Public: Leadership as Spectacle," Nelson #10.
    Lawrence R. Jacobs, "The Presidency and the Press: The Paradox of the White House Communications War," Nelson #11.
    Samuel Kernell, "The Growth of Going Public in Kernell," Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership, 4th ed. (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2007), pp. 110-47. [course pack]

May 3rd. Mobilizing Public Support II: The Presidency and Interest Groups.
    Daniel J. Tichenor, "The Presidency and Interest Groups: Allies, Adversaries, and Policy Leadership," Nelson #12.

May 7th. Presidents and Congress.
    Andrew Rudalevige, "The Executive Branch and the Legislative Process," in Joel D. Aberbach and Mark A. Peterson, eds., The Executive Branch (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 419-51.
    Matthew Dickinson, "The President and Congress," Nelson #17.

May 10th and 14th. The Power to Make War.
    Louis Fisher, "Congressional Checks on Military Initiatives," Political Science Quarterly 109 (5) (1994-1995): 739-62. [course pack]
    Joseph R. Avella, "The President, Congress, and Decisions to Employ Military Force," in Phillip G. Henderson, ed., The Presidency Then and Now (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000), pp. 48-68. [course pack]
    Andrew J. Polsky, "The Presidency at War," Nelson #21.
    David E. Sanger, Michael R. Gordon, and John F. Burns, "Chaos Overran Iraq Plan in '06, Bush Team Says," New York Times, January 2, 2007.

May 17th. Presidents, Congress, and the Bureaucracy.
    David E. Lewis, "Presidents and the Bureaucracy: Management Imperatives in a Separation of Powers System," Nelson # 15.

May 24th. Take-Home Final Exam Due at 11:00 AM..