 This course focuses on the American presidency as a democratic institution and part of an overall system of political representation. Initially, we will consider the presidency in historical context as the institution has developed through time. We will also study the presidency in relation to the public, the media, and mass representation processes. We will then pause briefly to consider the institution as it now stands, both its organization and mode of operation. We will analyze presidential decisionmaking, both the form and manner in which it differs across policy areas. The latter part of the course will consider the president as part of the U.S. policymaking process. In particular, we will stress its relation to the Congress, bureaucracy, and courts. Methodologically throughout the course, we shall analyze what we know about the institution from empirical evidence, systematic analysis, and data, in the process drawing generalizations about the institution whenever possible. We will at times consider the details of particular presidential administrations for purposes of exposition. However, this is not a course in particular presidents or presidential administrations. I expect students to take from the course a conceptual understanding of the presidency as an institution, and its relation to other institutions of American government and the nation at large.
|
|
