Presidential Politics--Summer 2009

Chapter 10. Discussion on Vice Presidents

2009-06-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

This will be our last discussion. I have shortened it somewhat from what I said on the assignment page and I am dropping the last discussion for the last chapter because doing the mastery questions on that chapter is enough for one day -- and I know that you are tired. So here is the Chapter 10 discussion question: In your opinion, who was the best Vice President in history. Explain and justify your answer. It is far too early to make a case for Biden!

Chapter 9 Discussion. First Ladies

2009-06-25T10:05:00.001-07:00

Visit First Lady Michelle Obama’s homepage at http://www.whitehouse.gov/firstlady . Note that the text described Laura Bush as more of a traditional first lady who does not pursue and lobby for a serious policy agenda. Study Mrs Obama’s Web pages so you can compare her to Laura Bush. Assess how she is the same and/or different.

Chapter 8. The Courts and Emergency Powers

2009-06-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Much of Chapter 8 is about how the courts deal with presidents who claim emergency powers. The general answer is that at least when the emergency is going on the courts generally allow the president to do what he or she wishes. But what about today when we seem to be living in a world of ongoing continuing emergency? Clearly presidents need some emergency powers when a nation is under attack, but how do we know that the attack is over or when an economic crisis seems to be facing? Who decides? To leave that entirely up to presidents could mean that the emergency is never over—it invites abuse of power. What would you suggest? How and who should decide that an emergency is over and that a president's emergency powers no longer apply? Be creative here and do not be afraid to even propose a constitutional amendment!

The President and Political Parties--Campaign Advice

2009-06-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Discussion/Web assignment. Suppose you were advising a Democratic member of Congress running for reelection in a district that was held by the Republicans until the 2008 election. Last time she won the election by only a few percentage points. (I would note that this would be unusual in that most districts are drawn to be safe for incumbents – “gerrymandering” -- but some are close nearly all elections, and these are the ones that usually determine which party controls Congress.) What advice would you give this member of Congress on how they should cooperate with President Obama and his legislative agenda. Think about specific issues like health care reform, the auto bailout, the economic stimulus package and deficits, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Presidential Activities and Examples Using Obama

2009-06-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Web Assignment: Note the seven kinds of activities in table 5.1 on p.145. Go to the White House Website (www.whitehouse.gov), and find specific activities or speeches that illustrate THREE of these activities. Describe in your own words how each one illustrates the activity listed in the text. Do NOT just paste something from the web page to your answer. It must be on your own words. Post it as a comment below this.

Obama's Leadership--Sharing News Stories

2009-06-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

Find a relatively current news story that illustrates something about the leadership of President Obama and discuss the story in relation to the material in the text in chapter 4 on power and/or leadership. Make sure you give the author, title, date, and source for your story.

Top Presidents--Who is #4?

2009-06-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Pretty clearly, Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt are considered by most historians to be the top three American Presidents. Who would you rank as #4 and why?

Ideal Qualities for a Presidential Candidate

2009-06-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Look at the ideal attributes that candidates might have on pp.31-2. Consider President Obama. On which two do you think he was relatively strongest and on which two do you think he was relatively weakest as a candidate. Explain and defend your conclusions.

Inside the White House--NBC News--Extra Credit

2009-06-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Please make some comments about how you would feel about working in the White House. Here are some of the things you can consider. Describe the working atmosphere. What is the president's schedule like? What does it tell us about his organizational style and his ability to stay in touch with reality? How does the White House react to brewing crises like the reactions they say in the media to the Sotomayor nomination? How does Obama mesh his work life with his family life? Does he have sufficient personal time? Does Obama seem to like what he is doing and put a lot of energy into it or not? (This is an important question that tells us something about his "presidential character," a theory developed by James David Barber, that we shall see in the second chapter, pp.34-5.) Bob B

Obama and paradoxes that may challenge him

2009-05-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

Chapter 1 covers nine major paradoxes. Of these, which one do you feel poses the greatest challenge for President Obama. How well is he doing so for with respect to this paradox? Explain why?