MARK A. MARTINEZ
SPRING 2011
THE PRESIDENCY
POLITICAL SCIENCE 317
The American Presidency
In this course we will look at the constitutional roots and historical evolution
of the American Presidency. Specifically, this course will look at the formal and
informal powers of the presidency and trace it’s evolution from the founding of
America to the present day. To do this we will review historical transformation of
the American presidency from it’s early years, when it was considered a weak
institution dominated by congressional prerogative, to an institution that towers
over all other American institutions. This will take us from the Age of Jackson to
the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, to the Progressive Era and Teddy Roosevelt,
and to the consolidation of the powers of the modern presidency under Franklin
D. Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.
We will finish with an examination of presidential power, and it’s impact on
politics in America, at the beginning of the 21st century. The course will dedicate a
good deal of time to an analysis of executive leadership and presidential decisionmaking. In the process we will use case studies and the concept of “groupthink”
to understand the policy decisions and fiascoes of various presidential
administrations.
READINGS
In addition to various articles that will be distributed or made available via the
campus library, the following books are required:
SIDNEY M. MILKIS and MICHAEL NELSON., The American
Presidency: Origins and Development, 1776-2007, 5th edition.
Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2008.
IRVING L. JANIS, Groupthink, 2nd edition. Boston, MA: HoughtonMifflin, 1982.
GRADING AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students will be required to take two one-hour written mid-term exams,
present an 8 page paper, and take a final comprehensive exam. As well, every
student will be required to make one power point presentation from the two
assigned texts. If there are more students than there are chapters or articles,
presentations will be done in pairs or from journal articles approved by the
professor. All presentation days will be assigned by the third class lecture.
Although lectures and readings won’t necessarily coincide, students will be tested
on their knowledge of both. The two mid-terms, the presentations, and the term
paper will count for 20% each of the final grade, for a total of 80%. The final
exam will represent 20% of your final grade for a total of 100%. Presentations
represent 20%, for a total of 100%. Note: Two (2) points will be deducted from
your term paper if you miss or are not present from on the day your colleagues
are making their presentations. Five points (5) will be deducted from your paper
if you do not submit an abstract at the time it is due (Mid-Term #1).
Because political science is a field of observation and analysis, exams, papers,
and presentations must be both well organized and analytical – and not merely
descriptive. As such, successful exams, papers, and presentations will exhibit the
following elements:
1. Identify the key problems of the topic or issue at hand.
2. Identify and evaluate alternative points of view.
3. Elaboration of your own argument. Here the student should try to
identify why one argument is superior or weaker to another.
In other words, the analysis should compare and present all the relevant
possibilities, while arguing and presenting the strength and weakness of each
alternative presented. Finally, Blue books are required for the mid-term and final
exam. Failure to secure a blue book for exams will result in a partial grade penalty
on your exam grade; e.g. from a “B+” to a “B.”
PRESENTATION/PAPER GUIDELINES
PRESENTATIONS: Every student is required to e-mail me a one-page outline
of their presentation one full day prior to the presentation. On the day of your
presentation, you must provide every student a single 1 PAGE outline
so that they may follow your presentation. So, for example, if your presentation
falls on a Monday I will expect an e-mail of your presentation by 9:30 am Sunday
morning. Early submissions are welcome. The presentation must be done in
power point format, must contain no more than five (5) frames, and must be
finished within 15 minutes. It is up to the student(s) to make sure equipment is
operative and in place prior to their power point presentation. Expect an “F” on
your presentation if you are not prepared to present on the day you are scheduled
and there is no time available for make-up presentations.
PAPERS: Students are encouraged to get an early start and are required to
present a draft abstract of their paper topic at the time of the first
mid-term (early abstracts are encouraged). If you are unfamiliar with writing
abstracts, you can download an example of what to prepare from my website at
http://www.csub.edu/~mmartinez/abstract.doc. Keep in mind that paper topics
are open but must tie into one of the themes from the ten weeks outlined in the
syllabus. Paper outlines will be reviewed, drafts will not. As a helpful
hint, it is best to write your paper as if you were going to give or present it to a
reasonably intelligent person or audience. If after writing your paper you believe
that a reasonably intelligent person could read it and walk away with an
understanding of what you are trying to say, you probably have a good paper.
It is expected that the term papers will: include a title page, have page
numbers, have proper margins, be double-spaced, have 27 lines, be of 12 font,
have proper citations, be presented in Times, Times Roman, Courier, or Palatino
style font, include a separate bibliography page, contain a suitable conclusion,
and have at least 10 references. Only one course text will be counted as a separate
reference. Be careful with internet sources (if you are unsure, see instructor).
Deviations from these guidelines will count against your final paper grade. In
sum, scholarly style and presentation are expected.
CLASS DECORUM/ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
I am under the assumption that you are all mature adults who have made a
genuine commitment to your education. Part of this commitment is being aware
that you are participating in a public forum every time you enter class. For this
reason I expect every student who attends class to follow basic public standards
and university etiquette, and will:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Arrive on time.
Not talk during class lecture.
Not walk out in the middle of lecture (breaks will be given).
Not bring in anything to eat or snack on (something to drink is fine).
Be prepared to be active participants in your education process. This
means that you adhere to the above four points and come prepared to
do more than “just take notes.”
It is also expected that students will respect the environment of the class - and
the wishes of other students - and turn off beepers, cell phones, or any other
electrical equipment that have the potential for distracting you, or disrupting the
continuity of class. Failure to respect these guidelines during class lecture will be
treated with accordingly. Specifically, if I find you texting during class time I will
deduct 3 points from your mid-term grade. Failure to respect these guidelines
during a mid-term, presentation, or final exam will result in an automatic five (5)
point deduction from the mid-term exam grade of the offending party. If you
believe you have a reason to be exempt from these “technology” guidelines, please
see me at your earliest convenience. In return for your undivided attention I
promise to provide a constructive and stimulating intellectual environment.
ATTENDANCE / MISCELANEOUS
Medical emergencies notwithstanding, if you cannot make it to the midterms, cannot make your presentations, or cannot turn in your written
assignments on time, you should drop this course. As a general rule, you should
try and have your assignments finished at least three days prior to their due date.
Put another way, computer crashes, printing problems, car problems, “I’m not on
campus that day…” etc. are not acceptable excuses for suspending your
commitments to this class. If I offer extra credit it will be discussed in class, and
will be offered at my discretion.
Please, when you feel the need to miss class don’t ever ask “Are we going over
anything important today/that day?” As well, if you are going to miss class lecture
you do NOT have to send me an e-mail informing me why. I’m sure you have your
reasons, and I respect your sense of responsibility. However, I will not entertain
follow-up e-mails asking “What did we discuss the day I was gone?” or “Did we
discuss anything I should know about for the mid-term?“ Simply put, I will not
recount my lecture for you via e-mail. However, I will discuss what the lecture
was about after you have secured notes from a colleague and when you come into
my office to ask about issues that you are not sure about.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
___________________________________________
OFFICE: BDC 241 / CAMPUS WEB PAGE:
http://www.csub.edu/~mmartinez/
OFFICE HOURS:
M-W 8:30 – 9:30 pm and M-W 2:20 – 3:00 pm
Th 10:00 – 12:00 pm
PHONE: 654-2352 E-MAIL:
mkmartinez@csubak.edu
___________________________________________
PART I
AMERICAN PRESIDENTS: THE FIRST 100 YEARS
WEEK 1: THE ORIGINS OF THE PRESIDENCY



Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 1, “The Constitutional Convention.”
Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 2, “Creating the Presidency.”
PBS: The Power of the Presidency.”
WEEK 2: THE EARLY PRESIDENTS (Presentations Begin)



Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 3, “Implementing the Constitutional
Presidency: George Washington and John Adams.”
Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 4, “The Triumph of Jeffersonianism.”
PBS Home Video: “Thomas Jefferson” (E332 .T38 1996)
WEEK 3: THE AGE OF JACKSON


Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 5, “The Age of Jackson.”
PBS: Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil & The Presidency.”
WEEK 4: THE AGE OF EXPANSION & CONFLICT


Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 6, “The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln.”
PBS: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln.”
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MID-TERM #1
- ABSTRACTS DUE Monday / April 18, 2011
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PART II
AMERICAN PRESIDENTS SINCE THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
WEEK 5: THE PUSH FOR ORDER … AND THE PROGRESSIVE ERA


Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 7, “The Reaction against Presidential
Power: Andrew Johnson to William Mckinley.”
Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 8, “Progressive Politics and Executive
Power: The Presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard
Taft.”
WEEK 6: AMERICAN PRESIDENTS ON THE WORLD STAGE


Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 9, “Woodrow Wilson and the Defense of
Popular Leadership.”
Henry A. Kissinger, The Hinge: Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow
Wilson,” in Henry A. Kissinger, Diplomacy. NY, NY: Simon & Schuster,
1994 (Library Reserve under M. Martinez, PS 304).
WEEK 7: THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 8, “Progressive Politics and Executive
Power: The Presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard
Taft.”
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MID-TERM #2
Monday / May 9, 2011
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PART III
THE MODERN PRESIDENCY
WEEK 8: FROM DEPRESSION TO WORLD WAR


History Channel: FDR.”
Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 11, “The Consolidation of the Modern
Presidency.”
WEEK 9: PERSONALIZING THE PRESIDENCY




Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 12, “Personalizing the Presidency: John F.
Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.”
Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 3, “A Restoration of Presidential Power?
Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.”
PBS: The Presidents: Jimmy Carter.”
PBS: The Presidents: Ronald Reagan.”
WEEK 10: THE 21ST CENTURY PRESIDENT


Milkis & Nelson: Chapter 15, “George W. Bush and Beyond.”
TBA
Papers Due: Friday, June @ 12:00 pm (noon)
Last Day of Class / Monday, June 6
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FINAL EXAM
Wednesday / June 8, 2011 / 11:00 am - 1:30 pm
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