Course Description
An introduction to the American presidency, examining how the president is elected, influences public opinion, competes for power with Congress and the courts, and influences public policy. Special emphasis placed on the historical use of presidential powers and how they are utilized on contemporary political issues.
Athena Title
Presidential Power
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in POLS 4610, POLS 4610H, POLS 6610
Prerequisite
POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will learn about the historical origins of the presidency through historical documents and contemporary commentary.
- Students will analyze the president's role in the separation of powers system, through the analysis of contemporary and historical examples.
- Students will analyze and understand the promise and limits of presidents' ability to influence both domestic and foreign policy, through the analysis of contemporary and historical examples.
- Students will apply lessons from history to contemporary political issues. Historical examples of presidential attempts to influence policy will be examined, and the lessons from these examples will be used to analyze presidents' ability to influence policy in current issues of interest.
- Students will learn to analyze quantitative data relevant to the presidency.
- Students will learn to access and analyze primary source documents relevant to the presidency.
Topical Outline
- Constitutional Origins
- Elections-Primaries
- Elections-General
- Presidential Approval and Public Opinion
- Presidential Power
- Presidents and the Bureaucracy
- Presidents and Congress
- Presidents and the Courts
- Role in Domestic Policymaking
- Role in War Powers and Foreign Policy
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
