Outcomes:

After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Students will understand the evaluate the development of the American Presidency.
• The original Presidency
• The evaluation of the Presidency
• Problems of contemporary leadership
• Critical reviews
• THE NOMINATION PROCESS
• Students will be able to comprehend the evolutionary process of the nomination of the President.
• The evolution of the system
• Changes in the political area
• Party reforms
• Public relations
• Finance laws
• Polling
• Media
• The quest for the nomination
• Non-front runner strategy
• Front runner strategy
• National conventions
• Public dimensions
• Official business
• Characteristics of the nominees
• THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
• The student will be able to critically analyze and evaluate the election process in the following format.
• The strategic environment
• The electoral college
• Political attitudes and groupings
• Financial considerations
• The Presidential campaign
• Constructing organization
• Designing a Presidential image
• Political advertizing
• Building coalition
• The meaning of the election
• Predicting the result
• Analyzing the result
• The President's mandate
• THE PRESIDENT AND THE PUBLIC
• The student will comprehend and evaluate the role of public opinion on the Presidential ability to govern
• Understanding public opinion
• American opinion
• Public opinion poll
• Mail from the public
• Understanding public opinion in perspective
• Public expectations of the Presidency
• High expectation
• Contradictory expectations
• Public expectation in perspective
• Public approval of the Presidency
• Party identification
• Personality or policy
• The economy of war
• Public relations
• The White House and ad agency
• Spreading the word
• Media events
• Interpreting events
• Discrediting opponents
• THE PRESIDENTIALOFFICE
• The student will understand the organization of the Executive Office and its role in the political arena.
• The evolution of the Cabinet
• The Cabinet's demise
• The Executive Office
• Structural changes in recent years
• Involving the Vice President
• Enlargement of responsibilities
• Steeping stone to power
• Student will critically evaluate the relations between the two great institutions in terms of separation of powers and checks and balances.
• Formal legislative powers
• Sources of conflict and cooperation between the Congress and the President
• Party leadership
• Party support for the President
• Working congressional party
• Obstacles to party unity
• Presidential coat-tails
• Bipartisanship
• PRESIDENTIALDECISION-MAKING
• Students will understand the essence of decision-making with respect toboth domestic/foreign policy and the constraints upon the President.
• Time constraints
• Organization and style of decision-making
• White House organization
• The form of advice
• Multiple advocacy
• President's relations with advisors
• Domestic policy-making
• The OMB and the Executive Branch
• Coordination
• President and annual program
• Budgetary and economic policy-making
• The Federal budget
• The budget makers
• OMB and the Congress
• Foreign and defense policy making
• Constitutional and statutory authority
• The development of an advisory system
• The Executive development
• The NSC
• The Special Assistant of NSC
• PRESIDENTIAL INFLUENCE IN CONGRESS
• Students will critically evaluate the relations between the two great institutions in terms of separation of powers and checks and balances.
• Formal legislative powers
• Sources of conflict and cooperation between the Congress and the President
• Party leadership
• Party support for the President
• Working congressional party
• Obstacles to party unity
• Presidential coat-tails
• Bipartisanship
• THE PRESIDENT AND THE JUDICIARY
• Students will understand and evaluate the relation between the Presidency and the Judiciary in respect to separation of powers and checks and balances.
• Judicial selection
• Selection of lower-court judges
• Background of lower-court judges
• The Supreme Court
• Molding the Court
• Arguments to the Court
• Enforcing Court decision
• Complying with the Court
• Presidential compliance
• Deference to the President
• Judicial powers