Political Science 308, United States Presidency

Summer 2020

Bill Newmann

 

Office Hours: Please email me.  Since we can’t meet in person, we can use email or if you like, a zoom meeting that we can schedule.

E-mail: wnewmann@vcu.edu;

Newmann's home page with links to other course syllabi (http://www.people.vcu.edu/~wnewmann)
 
Links to the Presidency that will be useful or interesting (some might even be both).

 

Polls and Sites with Electoral College Charts

·      Gallup Poll

·      Quinnipiac Poll

·      Real Clear Politics Poll tracking

·      Pew Center

·      Washington Post polling page

·      New York Times polling page

·      Wall Street Journal/NBC news polls

·      CBS News polling page

·      538.Com polling

·      CNN polling page

·      Fox News polling page

·      Polling Report.Com

 

The American National Election Studies (ANES) is a scholarly database with everything. You need to register to use it (just info; no cost), and then create a password.  There is a ton here, so it may require some playing around to find what you’re looking for.

 

Use These for References to Voting in this election and past elections

·      270 to Win (info on presidential elections)

·      Dave Leip’s Atlas of US Presidential Elections The best info on every US presidential election and more

 

Sites with Coverage from All Perspectives

·         Real Clear Politics links to articles from everywhere

·      Politico comprehensive coverage of political events

 

Possible the two most important sites that exist (These examine claims made by politicians, candidates, and pundits.  Are they true or are they half-truths, or are they complete lies.  It also checks media stories and official pronouncements of the president and congress)

·         Fact Check.Org From the Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania

·         PolitiFact.com From several newspapers

·         The Fact Checker From the Washington Post

·         Snopes.com (fact checking and debunking urban legends and internet hoaxes that are often about politics)

 

Reference

·      Presidential Libraries

·         Statistical Abstract of the United States (US Census Bureau compilation of statistics on social and economic conditions in the US)

·         Charts on Presidential Approval Ratings (from Wall Street Journal; composites of several polling organizations)

 

Links to sources on the Impeachment and Trial (maybe) of President Trump

 

 

Introduction

The presidency is a huge topic. Recognizing this, the course will take a sweeping look at the US Presidency, arguably the single most powerful office in the history of the planet. Getting a handle on the presidency is a difficult, if not impossible job. Probably the best way to start learning about the subject is to think of the US presidency as the nexus of three streams: (1) the times -- the ebb and flow of American political culture, national trends, and international historical forces; (2) the presidency -- the office and powers of the institution as it has evolved from the US Constitution to the media-focused, celebrity Presidency of the 1980s and 1990s; and (3) The president -- the character, vision, strengths and weaknesses of the man or woman who occupies the Oval Office. As these three streams come together the political history of the nation is shaped. The US has been called a "Presidential Nation." It is in the office of the presidency where the US people have decided to place power time and again. In the historical grappling for power between the president and Congress the US people have continually sided with the president. It is the place where we look for leadership, and direction. The person who occupies that office is given a stature like no other. (Has anyone seen any monuments to senators or representatives?) The president gets too much credit when things go well and too much blame when things go wrong. For better or worse, the president has become the embodiment of the nation, and therefore, his or her character, personal habits and infirmities become the stuff of national obsession, and national security. (During the 1980s, the polyps on Ronald Reagan's colon received more media attention than the workings of the Federal Reserve.)

The office of the president is the repository of the greatest powers in the land, not just in terms of physical power (the authority to use military force, even nuclear weapons), but moral power -- the ability to shift the ethical standards of a nation and to influence, if not define, the national mood. Our presidential elections often focus on issues of personal character, not issues of economic, social or foreign policy. We seem to be choosing not simply someone to run the country, but someone to represent us -- half-prime minister, half-monarch. Our choices see to depend on the national mood.

One of the key issues in the study of the presidency focuses on what really accounts for presidential decisions.  Those who have an institutional perspective believe that the president is no match for the political pressures of congress, the political environment, and the American people.  He responds to them in ways that try to preserve his power by using his own institutional powers. Every president will react roughly the same to the same institutional forces.  The other perspective, often called the persuasion or bargaining model, sees leadership of the president as the key determinant of decisions.  The president matters -- his character, his leadership style, his political skills.

This is the central point we should focus on: Is it possible for a president to "succeed" in "modern" times? What do I mean by "succeed?" It is best to take ideological judgments out of the definition of success. We should not try to define success subjectively -- in terms of individual political goals that those on one side or the other of the political spectrum might have, such as reducing poverty through government action or shrinking the size of the welfare state. Using these notions as the judgment of success would lead to endless debate about the purposes of government from a partisan point of view. We’ll probably have a little bit of that, but we don't want it to dominate the course. It is better to try for some scholarly objectivity, by defining success in the following manner -- did the president achieve what he set out to do? Whether you, as an individual, shared the goals of one president or another, is irrelevant to this question. Analytically, the focus should be upon how successful was any president in attaining the goals that he sets for himself.

By the "modern" presidency I refer to the presidency as it has been defined since Franklin Roosevelt. It is FDR who, with the help of national crises of the Depression and WW II, transformed the presidency into the focus of power that it is today. He also raised expectations so high that it is doubtful that any president can meet those expectations for any length of time. Can the job be done? That is what we will focus on during the course of the semester. We will examine the powers of the presidency, the men who have held the office and the shifting demands that our political culture places on both the office and the individual.

We, of course, will look at how the last few presidencies operated (Bush 43, Obama, and Trump) and we’ll also spend a lot of time examining how President Trump seems to be shattering some of the established norms of the presidency. 

Some of the issues we will discuss include: The Presidency and the Constitution; Presidential Character; The Roosevelt Revolution; "The Personal Presidency;" Presidential Management Styles; Bureaucracy, Organizations, and Presidential Power; The "Imperial Presidency" and Foreign Policy; The White House Staff and its power; Watergate and the abuse of power; The post-Watergate Presidency; The Reagan Revolution; The President and the media; Presidential Campaigns; Expectations of the President; Image making; Shifting Coalitions in Presidential Voting; Red and Blue America; And more, other issues you might bring up.

We will also spend some time looking at the current crisis in American Democracy.  In the long run, presidential power has been expanding in ways that are often seen as detrimental to the checks and balances built into the system. In essence, some think we are evolving into a system where congressional oversight disappears and presidential authority is unchallenged.  In the shorter run, President Trump has challenged or obliterated long standing norms in American politics, both in terms of the tone of presidential communication and the limits to presidential power.  As he has repeatedly said: Article 2 gives me “total authority.”  That is terrifying.  The fundamental nature of democracy rejects total authority by anyone at any time.  Only dictators or monarchs have total authority. Our extreme polarization has led us to a critical juncture.  If we evolve into a system where parties believe that presidents from their own party can have absolute power, while presidents of the opposition party can have no power, we are no longer a functioning democracy. Again, that is terrifying. But, there are many solutions. The first, of course, is to VOTE – all the time, every time there is a vote for anything, and for every office that you are eligible to vote for.  Remember this: the people who believe the earth is flat and who wear tinfoil hats to protect themselves from alien mind control always vote, every time, all the time.  They will decide your future if you don’t vote.
 

 Texts: You need to read them; you don't need to buy them. There is a lot of reading for this course, but it is fun reading. I've tried to keep the dry political science textbook style to a minimum. I've assigned mostly journalistic accounts that are entertaining and educational.  The books are available through the Virginia Book Company, BookHolders, and the VCU Bookstore. Some of them may be found also at the large online platforms (Amazon, Barnes and Noble). You might find them there at a discount. If anyone has problems getting access to the texts, for any reason, let me know as soon as possible so you don't get too far behind in the reading. You may find these texts other places; be sure you get an edition of the text that includes everything that is in the edition I have assigned. I usually place the books on reserve, but that is not an option this semester.

 

Assigned Texts:

·   Jeremi Suri. The Impossible Presidency (New York: Basic Books, 2017)

·   Doris Kearns Goodwin. Leadership In Turbulent Times (New York: Simon and Shuster, 2019)

·   Chris Whipple. The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency (New York: Broadway Books, 2018)

·   Ronald Brownstein. The Second Civil War (New York: Penguin Books, 2007)

·   Charlie Sykes. How the Right Lost Its Mind (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018)

 

 

Grading System: Grades will be determined through the following:

Exam One

July 2

30% of the grade

Research Paper

(See instructions in the Course Documents)

July 23

Optional rough drafts can be submitted up until July 16

35% of the grade

Exam Two

Take Home:

Exam will be given to you Tuesday July 28 at 9:00 AM;

Exam will be due back to me Thursday July 30 at midnight. (I will explain how this works)

35% of the grade

How do you calculate your grade? Use the percentages from the above table. So, if you received the following grades, you would calculate your grades in the following manner:

·         Exam One: 92, at 30% of the grade; that’s 92 multiplied by .30 = 27.6

·         Research Paper: 89, at 35% of the grade; that’s 89 multiplied by .35 = 31.15

·         Exam Two: 90, at 35% of the grade; that’s 90 multiplied by .35 = 31.5

·         To get the final grade, add up all the scores: 27.6 + 31.15 + 31.5 = 90.6. Congratulations you got an A.

I give you this very detailed formula for a number of reasons. You should never be unaware of what your class average is. You can calculate it at any point in the semester. If your grade is not what you'd like it to be, you should know, and you should come see me about it. Please don’t wait to come to my office hours until after the final exam and say then tell me that you're having trouble in the class. It's too late at that point; there’s nothing that I’d be able to do to help at that point.  But any time in the semester that you feel you are having trouble, or not doing as well as you feel you should, come talk to me. During my office hours and by appointment I am happy to talk to you about the class

 

Grading scale: I use a typical scale: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 55-69. Borderline grades are considered in the following manner.

·         If your grade is 69.5, 79.5, or 89.5 or higher, then you may be a candidate for a round up to the higher grade (Notice those numbers in the sentence; do not ask for a higher grade if your average is a 68 or 78 or 88 or lower; those are not borderline averages).

·         You may become a candidate if your grades are borderline and if your grades have been going up during the semester.

·         That means that if you are borderline, but your last exam is lower than the previous exams (you are between a B and C, but your third exam is a C for example), you will probably get the lower grade.

·         If you are borderline, and your last exam is higher than the previous exams (you are between a B and C, but your third exam is a B), you will probably get the higher grade.

·         Another factor I consider is the typical grade you receive. Let’s say we have three grades for the class and two are grades of B and one is a C (bad day) and your average is a 79.6, you are a candidate for receiving a B.  If you have three grades and two grades are grades of C and one is a grade of B, you are probably not candidate for a round up to the next grade.

·         There is no extra credit for this class.  Please do not ask.

 

One more thing: The withdrawal date is July 7

 

 

EXAMS: Since this is an online class, exams will be different from my usual format.  Here’s how it will work.  Before exams I will schedule a zoom session (attendance optional) for anyone who wants to ask questions or talk about the exam.  The review sheets that accompany the lectures are outlines of the lectures. Using them as your study guide is the best way to study for the exam.

 

Basic Stuff      

·         It will be a take home obviously

Other details:

·         11- or 12-point font

·         One-inch margins

·         Double-spaced

 And, important:

·         Sharing this exam with anyone outside the class is a violation of the VCU Honor Code

·         Working with another student in the class or anyone else while you take this exam is a violation of the VCU Honor Code

·         As with any take home, the plagiarism rules that exist for research papers apply here.  Your exams must be your written work. I will run this through the standard plagiarism programs as I do with all research papers. 

 

 

Research Paper: The full assignment is in the Course Documents folder. The topic is an assigned topic, but you have lots of leeway about how you want to approach it. Why did Donald Trump win in 2016? There are lots of theories about why he one. You will choose two and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each.  This is relevant to the 2020 election because those same political, economic, social, or demographic trends are probably still true.  The full assignment will be in the Course Documents folder.  Some basics:

 

 

COURSE AND READING SCHEDULE

I generally like to link the PPT directly to the syllabus, but I can only do that from my office.  Right now, we are not allowed in our offices. All the materials for the course and reading schedule are available in the Course Documents folder of the Blackboard site.  That folder will be organized like the schedule below, but files with the course materials will be there. Here’s what to know:

 

The following are some fun or useful PPT slideshows.  Take a look if you’re interested. They are not required; none of the material will be on a test.

President’s Park PPT

Being a Good Political Consumer

Presidential Library Tour

 

 

Day 1: June 9: Introduction

(No Readings)

Intro Video

Intro Video PPT Section

Intro Video Paper Instructions

Intro to the Presidency PPT Part One

Intro Review Sheet

 

 

Day 2: June 11: Origins of the Presidency

Suri, Introduction and Chapters 1-2

Read the Constitution

·         Official US Government Printing Office version

·         National Archives original text annotated version (with links to changes in the constitution)

Intro to the Presidency PPT Part Two

 

 

Day 3: June 16: The Pre-Modern Presidency

Suri, Chapter 3

Goodwin, Chapters 1 and 5 and 9

Pre-Modern Presidency PPT

Pre-Modern Presidency Review Sheet

FDR PPT Part One

FDR Review Parts One and Two

 

 

Day 4: June 18: The Roosevelt Revolution

Goodwin, Chapters 2, 6, and 10

FDR PPT Part Two

 

 

 

Day 5: June 23: The Roosevelt Legacy: and How Truman, Ike, and JFK Followed Precedent

Goodwin, Chapters 3, 7, and 11

Truman, Ike, JFK PPT Part One

Truman, Ike, JFK PPT Part Two

Truman, Ike, JFK Review Sheet

 

 

Day 6: June 25: LBJ and the Power of Persuasion

Goodwin, Chapters 4, 8, and 12

Truman, Ike, JFK PPT Part Three

LBJ PPT

LBJ Review Sheet

 

 

Day 7: June 30: Nixon’s Rise and Fall (Watergate is here)

You will get Exam One at about 9 AM on June 30.

Brownstein, Chapter 1 and Chapter 4 pages 93-127

Whipple, Introduction, Chapter 1

Nixon PPT

Nixon Review Sheet

Watergate PPT

Watergate Review Sheet

 

 

Day 8: July 2:

No Readings

Exam 1

 

 

Withdrawal Date July 7 (I will have your exam 1 grades back before this date)

 

 

Day 9: July 7: The Post-Watergate Presidency and Reagan Realignment

Whipple, Chapters 2-3

Brownstein, Chapter 4 pages 127-136.

Suri, Chapter 8

Ford and Carter PPT

Ford and Carter Review Sheet

Reagan PPT

Reagan Review Sheet

 

 

Day 10: July 9: The Reagan Realignment continued

Whipple, Chapters 4 and 5

Brownstein, Chapter 5

Bush 41 PPT

Bush 41 Review Sheet

 

 

 

 

Day 11: July 14: The 1990s: Bush 41 and Clinton

Brownstein, Chapter 6

Whipple, Chapter 6 and 7

Clinton PPT

Clinton Review Sheet

 

 

Day 12: July 16: Bush 43, and Polarization

Last Day for Turning in optional rough drafts July 16

Suri, Chapter 9

Brownstein, Chapter 7 and 8 (pages 263-297)

Bush 43 PPT

Bush 43 Review Sheet

 

 

Day 13: July 21: Bush 43, Obama, and Presidential Power

Sykes, Introduction, Chapters 1-8

Obama PPT

Obama Review Sheet

 

 

Day 14: July 23: The Trump Presidency I

Paper Due July 23 at midnight (as July 23 becomes July 24)

Sykes, Chapters 9-10

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report on Impeachment Process (Online)

Politifact Timeline of Impeachment Investigation

Articles of Impeachment against President Trump

Trump One PPT

Trump Review

Trump Impeachment PPT

Trump Impeachment Review

 

 

Day 15: July 28: The Trump Presidency  II

Sykes, Chapters 11-17

Trump One and Half PPT

Trump Two PPT

 

 

Day 16: July 30:

Exam 2: Due at midnight (as July 30 becomes July 31)

 

 

VCU Policies

Class registration required for attendance

Students may attend only those classes for which they have registered. Faculty may not add students to class rosters or Blackboard. Therefore, if students are attending a class for which they have not registered, they must stop attending.

 

Honor System: upholding academic integrity

The VCU Honor System policy describes the responsibilities of students, faculty and administration in upholding academic integrity, while at the same time respecting the rights of individuals to the due process offered by administrative hearings and appeals. According to this policy, "Members of the academic community are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty, ethics and integrity at all times." In addition, “To support a commitment to the Honor System, all members of the VCU community are required to:

More information can be found at in the VCU policy library.

 

Managing stress

Students may experience situations or challenges that can interfere with learning and interpersonal functioning including stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol and/or other drug use, concern for a friend or family member, loss, sleep difficulties, feeling hopeless or relationship problems.  There are numerous campus resources available to students including University Counseling Services (804-828-6200 MPC Campus, 804-828-3964 MCV Campus), University Student Health Services (MPC 804 828-8828, MCV Campus 804 828-9220) and the Wellness Resource Center (804-828-9355).  24 hour emergency mental health support is available by calling 828-1234 and asking to speak to the on-call therapist or utilizing the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-784-2433).

 

Mandatory responsibility of faculty members to report incidents of sexual misconduct

It is important for students to know that all faculty members are mandated reporters of any incidents of sexual misconduct/violence (e.g., sexual assault, sexual exploitation and partner or relationship violence). This means that faculty cannot keep information about sexual misconduct/violence confidential if you share that information with them and they must report this information immediately to the university's Title IX Coordinator. In addition, department chairs, deans, and other unit administrators are required to report incidents of sex or gender-based discrimination to the university's Title IX Coordinator. Once a report is made, you will receive important information on your reporting options, on campus and off campus resources and remedial measures such as no-contact directives, residence modifications, and academic modifications. If you would prefer to speak with someone confidentially for support and to discuss your options for reporting, contact:

VCU's Wellness Resource Center     804.828.9355 | myoptions@vcu.edu | thewell.vcu.edu

Greater Richmond Regional Hotline (Community program)   804.612.6126  | 24-hour hotline

VCU’s Counseling Services       804-828-6200

For more information on how to help, please click here. The Policy on Sexual Misconduct/Violence and Sex/Gender Discrimination, can be found in the VCU policy library. For more information about the University's Title IX process, please visit equity.vcu.edu.

 

Student conduct in the classroom

According to the Faculty Guide to Student Conduct in Instructional Settings, "The university is a community of learners. Students, as well as faculty, have a responsibility for creating and maintaining an environment that supports effective instruction. In order for faculty members (including graduate teaching assistants) to provide and students to receive effective instruction in classrooms, laboratories, studios, online courses, and other learning areas, the university expects students to conduct themselves in an orderly and cooperative manner." Among other things, cell phones should be turned off while in the classroom. The Student Code of Conduct also prohibits the possession of or carrying of any weapon. For more information see http://register.dls.virginia.gov/details.aspx?id=3436.

 

Students with disabilities

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, require that VCU provide "academic adjustments" or "reasonable accommodations" to any student who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. To receive accommodations, students must register with the Office of Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity on the Monroe Park Campus (828-2253) or the Division for Academic Success on the MCV campus (828-9782). Please also visit the Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity website and/or the Division for Academic Success website for additional information. Once students have completed the registration process, they should schedule a meeting with their instructor (s) and provide their instructor (s) with an official accommodation letter. Accommodation letters will outline the required classroom accommodations.

 

Faculty communication about students

VCU instructional faculty, administrators and staff maintain confidentiality of student records and disclose information in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This means that VCU officials may disclose student record information without the consent of the student in certain situations. To support university operations, for example, VCU officials share information about students with other educational officials as necessary to perform their job duties. FERPA permits this disclosure to school officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the student information. In addition, VCU officials have obligations to report information shared by a student depending on the content of that information, for example, in compliance with VCU’s policy on the duty to report (policy.vcu.edu). Unless FERPA permits a certain disclosure, VCU generally requires consent from a student to disclose information from their education record to another individual. You may find additional information on the VCU FERPA website: http://rar.vcu.edu/records/family-educational-rights-and-privacy-act/