American Presidency

The course will examine the origin and evolution of the American Presidency.  Topics will include:  the process of presidential selection and nomination, the ways in which the presidents make decisions, and how presidents work to shape foreign, economic, and domestic policy.  In addition, there will be a focus on individual presidents and how their private lives intersect with their public lives.  Finally, we will work to answer the following questions during the semester:  What do we expect of our president?, What makes good presidents?, and How do we define successful presidents?