Political Science 308
The American Chief Executive
Spring 2010
Professor Mikel Wyckoff
Office:
Zulauf 403
Hours: T/Th
mwyckoff@niu.edu (815) 753-7056
(Note: If you are enrolled in POLS 308 this
semester please consult the official course syllabus that is available on
Blackboard. From time to time, minor adjustments must be made to the
syllabus and I have no access to this document once it is placed online at my
department’s web site.)
I. INTRODUCTION
This course provides a
broad introduction to the American Presidency.
We begin by examining the processes through which Presidents are
selected and the historical evolution of the office. The second part of the course considers the
emergence of the modern Presidency with its emphases on the President as
legislative leader and national security leader.
The following books are required for the course and are available for purchase at the campus bookstores:
Sidney M. Milkis and Michael Nelson,
The American Presidency: Origins and
Development
(5th
Edition, 2008, CQ Press).
James P. Pfiffner, The Modern Presidency (5th Edition, 2008,
Thomson-Wadsworth Press).
Additional required readings (specified in the course
outline below) must be located online at Blackboard, NIU e-reserves, and at
other locations on the Internet. I also
encourage you to keep track of President Obama’s ongoing efforts to maintain
congressional and popular support for his various policies as he enters his
second year in the White House and as we move closer to the midterm congressional
election of 2012.
Exams. One midterm and a final exam will be
given. Each exam will contribute 50%
toward your final grade. Both will have
a significant long essay component plus some multiple choice, identification,
and/or matching questions.
Optional Paper. If you would rather not base your course
grade entirely on the midterm and final exams, you may choose to read an
additional book (from a list provided by the instructor) and write a 5-10 page
summary and critique of the major ideas contained therein. For those choosing this option the two exams
and paper will be weighted equally (33.3%) in the computation of final
grades. Due April 27. Late papers not accepted.
Attendance. Attendance is not formally computed into your
grade but like most professors I expect you to come to class regularly, to be
on time when possible, and to do the assigned readings on schedule. To encourage you in this regard I reserve the
right to increase a final grade by up to one-third of a letter for good class
participation. To help me learn your
names I will set up a seating chart next week and keep a daily record of
attendance.
Cell Phones and Classroom Decorum. Please silence
your cell phones and refrain from using them during class except in the event
of an emergency (or other exceptional circumstances). Other electronic entertainment devices should
be turned off. Otherwise, simply use
common sense in respecting the needs of your fellow students, and of
your rapidly aging professor (“Get off my lawn!”) who is doing his best to give
you a good lecture each week.
Makeup
exams and grades of
incomplete will be provided cheerfully when needed, but only for reasons of
significant illness, personal tragedy, or other similarly extraordinary
circumstances, and documentary evidence of the extraordinary
circumstances normally must be provided by the student.
Students with Disabilities. NIU abides by the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 which mandates reasonable accommodations for qualified students with
disabilities. If you have a disability
and may require some type of accommodation, please let me know. If you have not already done so, you will
need to register with NIU’s Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR). The CAAR office is located on the 4th floor
of the University Health Services building (753-1303). I look forward to working with you.
Jan. 26 – Introduction and Overview
Milkis and Nelson, Ch. 1, read pp. 1-7, skim
the rest
Feb. 2 – The Presidency in the Constitution;
Implementing the Presidency (Washington and Adams)
Milkis and
485). Think about the Constitutional powers of the
Congress and the President as you do so.
Federalist
Papers #48 (paragraphs 1-3), #51
(paragraphs 1-5), and #70 (Fed 70 is sometimes cited as
a basis for claiming that the founders
wanted the president to have “near dictatorial powers” in the
realms of foreign policy and defense. Do
you agree?). Locate the Federalist
Papers at:
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed.htm
Pfiffner, pp. 25-35 (electoral college).
Jack Rakove, “The Accidental
Electors,” NY Times, 2000.
(Blackboard)
Elizabeth Drew, “Power Grab,” NY Review of Books,
Feb. 9 – The Partisan Context of Presidential
Leadership
Bibby,
"The Party Battle in
in
Pfiffner, pp. 43-45 (presidential elections
in the post-WWII period).
V.O. Key, “A Theory of Critical Elections,” Journal of Politics (1955), pp. 3-11 only.
(Blackboard or e-reserves)
Skowronek,
“Presidential Leadership in Political Time.” (e-reserves) This is a difficult but
important reading. We will revisit its analyses of specific
presidents in coming weeks, so
don’t
worry if you can’t digest it all the first time through. At the moment, focus on
Skowronek’s general theory and how it
relates to the ideas in the V.O. Key and Campbell
readings.
Feb. 16 – John Adams, the Jeffersonians and the
Jacksonians
Milkis and Nelson, pp. 87-93 and Ch. 4-5.
Skowronek, review pp. 127-133 (
Feb. 23 – The
Milkis and Nelson, Ch. 6-7.
Skowronek, review pp. 151-157 (Pierce). (e-reserves)
March 1 –
MIDTERM EXAM
Week
of March 8: Spring Break
Mar. 16 – The Re-emergence of Strong
Presidential Leadership in the Progressive Era; Last Gasps of the
Deferential Presidency (McKinley through
Milkis and Nelson, Ch. 8-10.
Mar. 23 – The New Deal and the
Institutionalization of the Modern Presidency
Milkis and
Skowronek, review pp. 127-129, 134-137
(FDR). (e-reserves)
Dorning, “Rahm Emanuel: President’s Chief
of Staff …” (Blackboard)
Mar. 30 – The President and National Security
I: Emergence of the Cold War
Milkis and
(JFK and LBJ).
Youngstown Co. v. Sawyer
(1952). Locate at www.oyez.org by typing “
search box on the first page. Read the opinion of the Court by Justice
Black and give a close
reading to the concurring opinion by
Justice Jackson (scroll down to find it).
Skowronek, review pp. 137-139, 145-151
(JFK). (e-reserves)
Apr. 6 – Organizing the Modern Presidency
Pfiffner, Ch. 4-5.
Milkis and
Skowronek, review pp. 151-153, 157-163
(Carter). (e-reserves)
MacGillis, “For Obama Cabinet, A Team of
Moderates.” (Blackboard)
Baker, “Obama’s Team is Lacking Most of its
Top Players.” (Blackboard)
Apr. 13 – The President as Legislative Leader;
Going Public
Pfiffner, Ch. 6 and pp. 45-54.
Milkis and
Barnes, “In Approval Ratings, Obama’s Like
Ike.” (Blackboard)
Brownstein, “Obama’s White-Out.” (Blackboard)
Victor, “Is Obama Tough Enough?” (Blackboard)
Apr. 20 – The President and National Security
II: G.W. Bush and The War on Terror
Milkis and
George F. Will, “No Checks, Many
Imbalances.” (Blackboard)
David Cole, “What Bush Wants to Hear,” NY Review of Books, 2005. (Blackboard)
Review Justice Jackson’s dissent in
Apr. 27 –
Abuse of Power and Reputation
Pfiffner, Ch. 8.
Milkis and
May 4 – FINAL
EXAM