Module POLI3311: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Department: GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (POLITICS)

POLI3311: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Prerequisites

• Democratic Government (POLI2041)

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• This module aims to enable students to gain detailed and specific knowledge and understanding of the structure and operation of arguably the world’s most powerful executive office, the Presidency of the United States. As well as institutional elements, students will consider key dynamics and developments in the Presidency, including the role of specific Presidents as well as cultural, historical and social influences on the office.

Content

• The first half of the module considers various aspects of Presidential power, emphasising the contrast between domestic and foreign policy powers. It also looks at Presidential elections and relations with Congress. The second half of the module looks at specific Presidencies, from Lyndon Johnson through to George W. Bush, examining different approaches to the office and their contrasting records at home and abroad.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module, students should:
• Show detailed and systematic knowledge of the office of the Presidency and the record of specific Presidents.
• Be aware of the principal dynamics shaping the development of the US Presidency and how these relate to wider political developments.
• Have an appropriate understanding of key debates in the scholarly literature surrounding the Presidency, drawing on material at or close to the forefront of current scholarly work.

• By the end of the module, students be able to:
• Describe, analyse and evaluate the office of the Presidency and the record of individual Presidents.
• Utilise advanced scholarly resources effectively to support sound academic judgement on the Presidency and the record of Presidents.
• Show an understanding of the institutional, Constitutional and other appropriate political contexts surrounding the Presidency.

• Through the module students should further develop key skills including:
• Identification, selection and assessment of resources in support of their studies.
• Effective planning and delivery of assessed work within time and length constraints.
• Taking responsibility for their learning and work, balancing competing demands to complete a range of tasks.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching is through 13 two-hour seminars structured to ensure coverage of the full range of content of the module. These may use student presentations to provide a basis for subsequent discussion and debate, enabling students to survey key issues and present initial assessments of the competing positions in the literature. This encourages students to demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge and to develop and defend analytical assessments and judgements in a guided and supported teaching environment. Formative assessment through essay gives students practice in advance of summative assessment in setting out their knowledge of the field in order to develop and defend in a suitably structured and rigorous fashion a response to a set question. Achieving this also tests their ability to independently identify, assess and organise resources in support of a consistent academic argument, by a deadline and to a word-limit, requiring students to take responsibility for their learning. Summative assessment by essay formally tests these skills, with questions set to ensure that a full range of material is covered so that all aspects of subject specific knowledge must be addressed and skills displayed.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

1 x 1500 word essay

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University