National Institutions: The Presidency

POL SCI XL 140B

A broad overview of the American presidency, this course studies the nature and problems of presidential leadership including the impact of the bureaucracy, congress, public opinion, interest groups, and the party system.

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What you can learn.

Describe the constitutional foundations of the presidency and its powers
Analyze the development of the presidency from the late 1700s to the modern era
Evaluate the relationship between the president and other branches of government
Demonstrate an understanding of the process of selecting presidents
Develop an analysis of the role of the presidency in an issue of importance for American government and politics

About this course:

This course provides a broad overview of the American presidency. A study of the nature and problems of presidential leadership, this course emphasizes the impact of the bureaucracy, congress, public opinion, interest groups, and the party system on the presidency and national policy-making. Topics include the development of the institution, problems and prospects in analyzing the presidency, the presidential selection process, the president and his constituents, and the impact of the presidency on the policy-making process. Instruction emphasizes the contemporary presidency by focusing on recent administrations and the singular (individual) as well as the plural (institutional) presidency. Transferable for UC credit.