POSC 311 - The American Presidency

Units: 3
Study of the American Presidency both historically and analytically with an emphasis on roles and powers; the struggle between the President and Congress; the leadership role of the President in government, political parties, and public opinion.

Possible Instructional Methods: On-ground, or Hybrid, or Online-Asynchronous.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Course Typically Offered: Variable Intermittently

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Describe the development of the modern presidency and evaluate the causes and consequences of major changes in the institution over time.
Explain the formal and informal mechanisms that the president can use to achieve objectives when interacting with the other branches of government, the bureaucracy, and the public.
Identify the institutional and political constraints that limit the president’s ability to achieve objectives.
Assess the president’s influence on economic and foreign policy.
Analyze the major factors affecting the outcome of presidential primary and general election campaigns.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to the study of these topics.