Module SGIA3861: Special Topic on the American Presidential Election

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3861: Special Topic on the American Presidential Election

Prerequisites

• Any Level 2 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• This module aims to enable students to gain detailed and specific knowledge and understanding from institutional, strategic and individual perspectives of how the United States of America elects the president, and how that leader governs.

Content

• Students will be tasked with investigating the roots and assessing the present significance of key dynamics and contemporary political developments in US presidential politics. Indicative content may include:
• The historical and political development of electoral systems of various American political institutions, with specific regard to the US Presidency;
• Important traditions of political thought in American politics and how they are discussed during political campaigns;
• The different stages of the US Presidential Campaign and the strategies candidates employ at each stage;
• The historical development of the American presidency;
• The president’s relationship with Congress;
• How the president both influences, and is influence by, the media and public opinion;
• Different theories of presidential leadership;
• Presidential warmaking powers and how they work;
• Show detailed and systematic knowledge of contemporary US presidency and debates in appropriate theoretical context;
• Be aware of the principal dynamics shaping developments, including specific current political controversies in US presidential politics and presidential elections; Understand the significance of the contested and dynamic nature of US politics as both a field of human activity and an academic subject.

Learning Outcomes

• Show detailed and systematic knowledge of contemporary US presidency and debates in appropriate theoretical context;
• Be aware of the principal dynamics shaping developments, including specific current political controversies in US presidential politics and presidential elections;
• Understand the significance of the contested and dynamic nature of US politics as both a field of human activity and an academic subject.

• Describe, analyse and evaluate key institutions and debates in US presidential politics;
• Use advanced scholarly resources effectively to support sound academic judgement on US presidential politics;
• Show an understanding of the institutional, Constitutional and other appropriate political, social or cultural factors influencing contemporary US presidential politics;
• Describe, interpret and evaluate political theories, concepts and processes in the American context, as they bear on current political controversies;
• Flexibly adjust and adapt their use of knowledge and the application of intellectual skills to different forms of study.

• 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 16 lectures to introduce key ideas and concepts, and 8 seminars structured to ensure discussion of assigned readings and coverage of the full range of content of the module. 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 will come in two forms. The first is of an essay exploring the history of a previous presidential election cycle. This will prepare students for the summative assessment by having them engage critically with a prior election, conduct research into its events and conduct, and develop an understanding of what led to the result. 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. The second formative will come in the form of a research project proposal, in which students will propose a comparison of two presidential events to be critically analysed. This will provide students with an opportunity for feedback on their independent research projects.
• The summative assessments will test a student’s analytical skills as well as require the student to incorporate the full range of material in the module, so that all aspects of subject-specific knowledge must be addressed, and skills displayed. Essay one will require students to critically analyse the losing presidential candidate’s performance within one battleground state and discuss how the campaign could have altered their performance to increase their vote share and win the state. Essay two will task students with completing a research project examining and critically analysing events within presidential administrations.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One research proposal of 1,000 words exploring the history of a political campaign in the United States and one research project proposal of 1,000 words outlining two events in a presidential administration to be analysed in summative essay 2.

■ 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