Department of Political Science University of Vermont Professor John P. Burke

Department of Political Science
University of Vermont
POLS 124: THE PRESIDENCY
Spring 2015
Professor John P. Burke
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, and
John G. McCullough Professor of Political Science
Office: Dean’s Office, College of Arts and Sciences
438 College St. [“Lattie Coor House” behind Waterman Building on College Street]
Tel: 656-3166
e-mail: [email protected]
[please make sure the above email is exact, as there is another John Burke at UVM]
Office Hours
Office Hours are at my CAS Associate Dean’s office at 438 College St. Please call 656-3166 to
set up an appointment. I am usually in the office from 8:00 until 4:30, although I am often
scheduled into a number of other appointments. But don’t be shy about calling. If you want to
chat about any course concerns, I want to see you!
I. Course Description
For better or worse, whether intended or not, the American presidency has emerged as the
central focus of our system of government. We expect much of our president: chief proposer of
domestic policy, guardian of our economic well-being, commander in chief and architect of
foreign affairs, national symbol and head of state, "great communicator," crisis manager, and,
yes, even moral exemplar. We place great hopes in our newly elected leader, yet as a public we
often become disappointed with their performance in office (witness Bill Clinton's ups-anddowns over his eight years in office, and similarly those of George W. Bush or Obama over the
course of their presidencies).
Why this seeming cycle of expectation and frustration? This is the key question that will
structure our study of the presidency. We will spend the first several weeks of the course
looking at the kind of presidency the founding fathers thought they constructed. As we shall see,
the Constitution does place some constraints and establishes some expectations on the presidency
but it is not very useful in helping us understand how the presidency currently operates. We will
move on to examine what else affects the presidency in our contemporary political order. We
will do this by looking at other alternative explanations proposed by political scientists--the
effects of: the electoral process on the presidency, the president's mode of dealing with Congress,
personality, and how the president deals with the White House staff and makes policy decisions.
Throughout the semester, we will also focus on particular presidencies so that we can
examine some of the above factors as they affect individual presidents, as well as acquiring a
thorough familiarity with recent presidential history. Fred I. Greenstein's book, The Presidential
Difference will provide some background for this part of the course, as well as looking at
particular administrations through the lens of personality and character-- an approach that is
certainly not without some relevance today.
II. Learning Goals
1. We often—and I think sometimes mistakenly--view the presidency just as the individual
person who happens to hold the office. Individual presidents do matter; please don’t get me
wrong. However, through the semester, you should come to appreciate a range of factors that
affect a presidency. In terms of how a president performs in office and their success or failure in
office, you should gain knowledge concerning how much more is involved. Each of the sections
of the syllabus deals with one or more of these factors. Some of these are historical (even going
back to the Constitutional Convention of 1787), while others reflect recent events and practices.
You should have a thorough knowledge of these factors, both from lectures and readings. What
issues do they raise? What occurred and what was the result? What “questions” do they raise?
What “lessons” do they provide?
2. I also expect you to develop information and knowledge of some of the individual presidents
we will explore in more detail. What were their backgrounds and what did they bring to the
presidency? What were their key achievements? What were their successes and failures? A
deepened knowledge on your part of presidential history is also an important course goal.
3. Please note that is not a course just on the Obama presidency; it is a course on the presidency.
However, the current president remains important and many examples in lectures and some of
the readings will reference it. Moreover, you should keep abreast of what is happening in
politics as the semester progresses. You can pick your own source. I find that the Washington
Post’s “Politics” section is useful, as are other on-line sources such as realclearpolitics.com
(which collects interesting articles each day and tracks a variety of polls) and politico.com. The
New York Times is a good source on international news. One of the things I love about this
course is that there is always something currently happening about the presidency. For us,
Spring 2015 will see the start of the next presidential campaign. Stay tuned and informed.
III. Course Requirements and Grading
PLEASE NOTE THE DATES OF THESE EXAMS NOW
1. Exam I
[25% of grade] DATE: Tues. Feb. 5
2. Exam II
[30% of grade] DATE: Thur. March 24
3. Final Exam [40% of final grade] DATE: Thurs. May 1, 10:30-noon [90 mins]
4. Quizzes
[5% of final grade] We will have six of these, each counting one point [out of
100 total for the course]; thus you can "miss" one without hurting your grade [passing all six
gives you an extra bonus point!]. They will be unannounced, hence acting as an attendance
check. Questions will be brief multiple choice, covering material from the previous class [or so];
if you are late you lose.
If you are not in class on the date a quiz is given, you will receive credit only for a legitimate
excuse [illness, athletic competition, etc] and you must notify me before class begins with an
email message: [email protected]
Note: I am a firm non-believer in "extra credit" [please do not ask; you are not in high school any
more]. However, the quizzes will help your grade in its stead: passing all five is equivalent to an
A; passing all six gives you one bonus point [out of 100], which can make a big difference in
your final grade
PLEASE NOTE THE DATE OF ALL EXAMS, ESP. FINAL EXAM. I CANNOT AND WILL
NOT RESCHEDULE THE FINAL, SO PLAN AHEAD ACCORDINGLY.
A word of advice: Take the lectures seriously and do not miss class even if you think you can
get the notes from someone else.
IV. Required Texts
The following texts are required for the course and may be purchased at the UVM store or online:
1. Joseph A. Pika and John.A. Maltese[ hereafter Pika], The Politics of the Presidency, 8th
ed.rev., CQ Press [ISBN: 978-1-4522-3994-1] You can also use the 8th ed., although some of the
page numbers are slightly different
2. Fred I Greenstein, The Presidential Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to Barack Obama
3rd. Ed., Princeton Univ. Press [note: earlier editions are OK] [ISBN: 0-691-14383-8]
3. Gary L. Gregg II [hereafter Gregg], Thinking About the Presidency, Rowman and Littlefield
[ISBN: 0-7425-4337-4]
4. In addition, we will read part of the manuscript of my latest book, Dilemmas of Presidential
Power. This will be available on Blackboard.
V. ACCESS letters
Students with ACCESS letters requesting disability accommodations should see make an
appointment to see me. Do not hand me the letter before/after class.
Students taking exams at Exam Proctoring MUST schedule them at the approximate times
periods the class is taking exam. Please schedule your proctoring times immediately: only a
limited number of private spaces or cubicles are available.
VI. Religious Holiday Conflicts
According to UVM policy: Each semester students should submit in writing to their instructors
by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday schedule for the
semester if there is a potential conflict with class assignments, quizzes, and tests.
VII: Attendance Policy
A. Students are expected to attend class B. Enforcement/Penalties: see quizzes, III.4 (above)
SCHEDULE OF READINGS FOR LECTURES
Introduction: Studying the Presidency
Presidency and the Constitution: The Perspective of the Founders/Framers
1. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter One: “The Madisonian Dilemma” on
Blackboard, pp. 1-14
2. Pika, pp. 1-32
The Debate over Ratification of the Constitution, the Issue of the “Intentions of the Framers,”
and Washington’s Presidency
1. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter One: “The Madisonian Dilemma,” on
Blackboard, pp. 14-27.
2. Reading #3 in Gregg , Federalist Papers 69 and 70 (Hamilton)
3. Reading #2 in Gregg, Cato the Anti-Federalist
4. Reading #4 in Gregg, Rozell, "Filling in the Blanks—George Washington and the
Origins of Presidential Power
The Constitution and Presidential Powers: The Presidential View of "Prerogative", the Supreme
Court’s Response
1. Reading #5 in Gregg, Lincoln "Presidential Power and the Oath of Office"
2. Reading #6 in Gregg, T. Roosevelt, "The President as Steward"
3. Reading #7 in Gregg, Taft, "The President Constrained by Constitution"
4. Reading #18 in Gregg, Pacificus (Hamilton) and Helvidius (Madison)
5. Reading #19 in Gregg, United States v. Curtiss-Wright (1936)
6. Reading #20 in Gregg, Youngstown Sheet and Tube v. Sawyer (1952)
7. Recommended: Burke Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Three: Constitutional
Powers Remain and Re-Emerge” on Blackboard, pp. 1-14.
The Constitution and Presidential Powers: Contemporary Issues
1. Burke Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Three: Constitutional Powers Remain
and Re-Emerge, on Blackboard, pp. 14-27.
The Constitution: Executive Privilege, Legislative Veto, Line Item Veto
1. U.S. v. Nixon (1974) on Blackboard
2. Clinton era and other cases on Blackboard
The Constitution and Presidential Powers: War Powers?
1. Gregg, 209-220
2. Reading #22 in Gregg, Nixon Veto Message on War Powers Resolution, Sen. Javits's
Reply
3. Pika, pp. 430-445, 453-460
Presidential Focus I: Harry Truman and Franklin Roosevelt
1. Greenstein, FDR and Truman chapters
2. Reading #17 in Gregg, FDR's Court Packing Address
Presidential Focus II: Dwight D. Eisenhower
1. Greenstein, Eisenhower chapter
Presidency and the Nomination Process
1. Pika, pp. 37-61
Presidency and the General Election
1. Pika, pp. 61-83
2. Reading #24 in Gregg, Federalist #68 (Hamilton)
3. Reading #25 in Gregg, Barone, "Electoral College and the Future of American
Political Parties"
Presidential Focus III: John F. Kennedy
1. Greenstein, JFK chapter
From Campaign to Governing: Presidential Transitions and First Terms
1. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Six, “Internal Time: The First
Presidential Term,” on Blackboard
2. Reading #10 in Gregg, Burke, "Why Presidential Transitions Matter"
3. Reading #14 in Gregg, Neustadt, "The Presidential One Hundred Days"
President and the Cabinet
1. Reading #11 in Gregg, Warshaw, "The President's Cabinet"
2. Reading #12 in Gregg, Reich "Life in the Cabinet"
3. Pika, 251-272
President and Presidency: The White House Staff
1. Reading #8 in Gregg, Brownlow Comm., "The President Needs Help"
2. Reading #9 in Gregg, Patterson, "The White House Staff"
3. Pika, pp. 169-174 (management)
4. Pika, pp. 460-469 (national security), pp. 405-425 (economic policy), pp. 361-373
(domestic policy
Presidential Focus IV: Lyndon Baines Johnson
1. Greenstein, LBJ chapter
Dealing with Congress I: Presidential Power and Bargaining
1. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Two: Neustadt and the “Modern”
Conception of Presidential Power, on Blackboard
2. Pika, pp. 201-242
Presidential Focus V: Richard M. Nixon and Gerald Ford
1. Greenstein, Nixon and Ford chapters
Dealing with Congress II: Presidential Power and the Public Presidency
1. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Four: “Going Public” and
Presidential Power, on Blackboard
2. Pika, pp. 93-122 [recommended: pp. 122-137]
Dealing with Congress III: Presidential Power and Historical Time; plus the Dilemma of the
Second Term
1. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Five: “Historical Time and
Presidential Power, Variously Interpreted,” on Blackboard
2. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Seven: “Internal Time”: The Second
Term and Presidential Power, on Blackboard
The Impact of Presidential Personality
1. Burke, Dilemmas of Presidential Power, Chapter Five: “Historical Time” and
Presidential Power, Variously Interpreted, on Blackboard, roughly pp. 18-21
2. Pika, pp. 146-169, [recommended: pp. 174-192]
3. Reading #39 in Gregg, Glad and Lechelt, "The Psychological Presidency"
[Note: There may be further assignments on Carter, Reagan, and G.H.W. Bush depending on
how much time remains in the semester. I will let you know. Also, we simply won’t have time
to get to the Greenstein chapters on Clinton, G. W. Bush, or Obama; but I think they are
interesting and recommend reading them if you have a chance]
CLASSROOM PROTOCOL
The following protocol has been adopted by the faculty of the Department of Political Science:
1. Students are expected to attend and be prepared for all regularly scheduled classes
2. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay in class until the class period ends.
3. Students are expected to treat faculty and fellow students with respect. For example, students
must not disrupt class by leaving and reentering class, must not distract class by making noise,
must not eat in class, and must be attentive to comments being made by instructors and by
fellow students.
4. Instructor will inform student of any special additions
Disclaimer: This syllabus is not intended as a contrast between professor and student. Professor
reserves the right to make any changes or alterations in light of pedagogical needs and
effectiveness.