Public Administration

• What is Public Administration?
• About Us
• Courses
• MPA Program
• Undergraduate Program
• Faculty and Staff
• News and Events
• PCEL
• Contact Us

 

pspa 3060-01: the american presidency

Spring, 2009
Prof. Michael Hawthorne
Department of Public Administration
217 BA Building
Voice: 910.521.6660
E-mail: michael.hawthorne@uncp.edu 
Office Hours: 1:00-2:00 T, 3:15-4:15 Th and by appointment

The President of the United States is a focal point in our political system.  Recent coverage of the presidential election process demonstrates the attention we will devote to the contest for this office (but not always the issues; that is another story).  The actions of the individual occupying the office are a source of endless fascination, with every movement reported by the media.  The President has seemingly boundless power -- running the bureaucracy, helping to set the agenda for Congress, selecting the federal judiciary, overseeing our economy and our national security, and insuring our domestic tranquility.  Children see the President as the government, and only later realize others are also involved.

Our preoccupation with the Chief Executive should not obscure the inherent dilemmas in the office and our view of its occupants.  It is an office without sufficient power, yet with too much power.  The President and his/her political appointees are but a small part of the ongoing political system, yet we expect new officeholders to make major policy changes with ease.  And some now claim voters cannot wait to get their favorite candidate into office so that they can begin complaining, as expectations are so high no one could meet them.

The issues at the center of these dilemmas strike at the heart of the office, the political system, and our normative beliefs.  Our biases can easily become mixed up with our objective measures of political behavior, making analyzing the office challenging.  And because the office is so closely linked to other parts of the political system, measuring the independent impact of the office and its surrounding environment requires eliminating the effect of other political actors.  We must also separate the individual from the office, even as we recognize the inherent interaction between these variables.  Much of our knowledge about the office stems from case studies, yet we know well the value of more sophisticated methods of analysis, crucial to helping our understanding of the office and its dilemmas, one of the core objectives of the class.

This class will operate as a seminar, with extensive discussion based upon readings completed prior to class.  The purpose is for students to bring to class their considered thoughts and questions, using class time to explore and address them, rather than the professor regurgitating information available in the readings.  It is the students' responsibility to come to class with some existing knowledge from their readings, and the professor's job to supplement this knowledge, refine it, and assist students to broaden their understanding of the topics we cover.  Obviously, this approach also provides better opportunities than conventional approaches to apply the knowledge to new contexts and examples, enhancing knowledge while simultaneously improving students' ability to use the information.  Lastly, seminars offer superior opportunities to develop comprehension skills, absolutely crucial to students' development and future career plans. Naturally, the course will offer extensive assistance in developing these skills, easing you into a superior method for learning and developing tools vital to all professional occupations.

Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please contact Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, 910-521-6695.

Learning is a challenging, serious, and fun process.  To facilitate this process and help you learn, I need you in class.  You should be attending ALL of your college classes on a regular basis.  As this class builds directly on material learned earlier in the class, attendance is crucial.  I will maintain attendance records for use in evaluating class participation, and in case questions arise about possible causes for poor performances.  Treat your class attendance as you would showing up for a serious job you wish to retain and you will not likely have any problems.  This means we would expect an attendance rate of 90% or higher, as would any real employer.  You are strongly advised to use your absences wisely; as with employers, you will not be given "extra" absences when you have a "real problem" after having used up your "free" absences for other reasons. Major health and family issues necessitating absences longer than this time period will be considered only with documentation, and should include consideration of dropping the course due to the absences.

Responsibilities

The class will operate as a seminar, with some lecture material, meaning that you will be expected to discuss readings, contribute ideas, and ask questions. Being able to enroll in an undergraduate seminar is an advantage not enjoyed by students at many other universities, but it does bring with it particular responsibilities. Most of these should be common to all classes, but to avoid any confusion, a list appears below. As a faculty member, I am responsible for creating the best possible class to teach you about research methods. As a student, you have responsibilities; these appear below.

• You are expected to arrive on time, and if you are not present when attendance is taken, your subsequent arrival will NOT change your status as absent.  Attendance records will be maintained for mutual benefit in analyzing class performance, and will serve as a significant component of the participation grade.  Students with more than four absences in a class with only approximately 30 meeting days (13% or worse absence rate) will not likely be evaluated as making a reward-worthy contribution to class.
• When you attend class, you remain for the entire class.  Students will not be given permission to leave early except in the most unusual circumstances.
• Do not leave class during the class period unless you are experiencing a significant medical problem.  Feeling you just need to get up and move around and take a quick trip to the bathroom does NOT constitute a significant medical problem.  Students will NOT be allowed to leave class during an exam.
• You need to complete class readings on time if you are to understand and contribute to class discussions.  Sometimes you must read something more than once for full benefit.
• The classroom is a place for learning and discussing. Students engaging in rude, inconsiderate, and unnecessary behavior disrupt these activities. Eating, passing notebooks and notes, private conversations, reading non-class materials, leaving during class, arriving after class has started, etc. are disruptive behaviors. Therefore, I will penalize students engaging in disruptive behavior after an initial warning. 
• No cell phones,music replay, or non-note taking electronic devices should be operating or visible during class. Recorders and computers are allowed  with my permission. Students displaying any part of these devices during class without the instructor's permission will be asked to leave class and counted as absent.
• As you read and prepare for class, think about what you are reading, and what you already know; be prepared to bring questions, comments, reactions to class, rather than sitting passively waiting to be told what you should know.
• Take advantage of office hours to have questions answered, learn how to explore topics in greater depth, and to clarify assignments and requirements. The purpose of office hours is to eliminate the "didn't understand something" or “I don't know how to do this” problem that can occur in class, but that will require you to take the initiative and stop in during office hours or arrange an appointment. I will do all I can to help, but you must let me know when you need help. However, remember that office hours are not intended to allow you to skip class, and then stop in to find out what we discussed while you were "busy" with other matters.
• Electronic mail and forums are great ways to ask questions as they occur to you. I will try to check my e-mail frequently, and you should feel free to use e-mail to ask questions, pursue additional information on topics, or even to request that we spend some additional time in class on some topic. I will also maintain forums on Blackboard for the class to share questions during the semester, and will encourage their use for substantive questions about the class material, assignments, etc..
• All assignments should be completed on time and submitted no later than the due dates; late assignments are penalized. You should turn in all writing assignments electronically through the Drop Box in Blackboard. No assignments are to be submitted without explicit permission by leaving them in my departmental mailbox!  If you do not know how to submit papers through the Drop Box, it is YOUR responsibility to learn!   Assignments submitted more than three days past the due date will NOT be graded.
• Exam/quiz dates are not "suggested" -- those are the days exams will be given. NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES/EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN! You must notify me before the exam and provide me with written documentation explaining the extraordinary circumstances (such as hospitalization or death in family) that justifies your absence from the exam. This does not mean a note you or your friend wrote restating your absence, or you wanted to get an early start on your vacation! All documents must be provided within one week of the scheduled exam date. Students making such a claim for a second time during a semester will be denied. 
• In the event of a missed quiz/exam, if you properly notified me about the absence, you will be required to complete a research paper. I will determine the  paper's topic, length, format, and due date. Failure to meet all specifications will result in a zero for the missed exam grade. If you complete the paper by the due date, I will entertain shifting some of the final grade weight assigned to the missed exam onto the other exams. The paper may serve as the grade for some of the remaining weight assigned to the missed exam. In no case will the reassigned weight equal the missed exam weight (a penalty for missing!). I will solely determine the specifics of all paper-related matters, re-weighting and assignment of grades, etc. Failure to meet any deadlines for notification or completing tasks related to these assignments will result in a grade of zero.
• Pay attention to the Academic Honesty statement following this section. ANY violation of the code, including plagiarism in a paper, will be punished by assigning a zero for the assignment containing the plagiarism; all remaining assignments in the course will be given an automatic zero. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY CITE MATERIAL IN PAPERS, seek help on campus or consult one of the many sources available on citing material for papers. You are a college student, and have been (or should have been) taught how to write papers properly, so a plea of ignorance regarding citation rules will not allow you to escape punishment.
• View the class as an opportunity to learn, engage in stimulating analysis, and exchange ideas with other thoughtful individuals. Treating class as a chore, and treating learning as a burden, isn't nearly as cool as friends make it out to be.

Class participation (and attendance) is crucial to learning. These will play a key role in grades for those on borderlines. Improvement during the semester is always given special consideration.

Academic Honesty

Student Academic Honor Code: Students have the responsibility to know and observe the UNCP Academic Honor Code.  All students should review the Academic Honor Code carefully.  This can be found at:

• View Academic Policies (html | PDF - requires Adobe Reader)

with particular attention to pages 52-56.  Violations of the Code will be reported and pursued with extreme vigor.  If you do not understand any part of the Code, it is your responsibility to seek answers to your questions and concerns.

Grades

Grades will be assigned based upon the following weight scheme:

Presidential auto/biography project -- 15%.
Midterm exam -- 15%
Final exam -- 20%
Class participation and mini-projects -- 15%
Research project -- multistage -- 35%

Course texts

The assigned texts are:

• Pika, Joseph A. and Maltese, John A.  2008.  The Politics of the Presidency. Revised 7th ed.  CQ Press.
• Nelson, Michael (ed).  2008.  The Evolving Presidency: Landmark Documents, 1787-2008.  3rd ed.  CQ Press.

You are also to select (at least) one other book to read during the semester that is not required for any class you are taking. (In other words, a "fun" book!) You will give brief reports to the class on an occasional basis about the book(s).

Reading assignments should be completed before the date listed in the schedule!

READING ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS SCHEDULE

Week of...	Topics	Reading assignments
Jan. 5	Introduction to the class/Overview of the office Running for office -- the early stages	Pika and Maltese, pp. 38-49 TBA Nelson, Reading no. 37
Jan. 12	The early states and nomination phase The conventions and early fall campaign	Pika and Maltese, pp. 50-58 TBA Nelson, Reading no. 11 Pika and Maltese, pp. 59-61 TBA Nelson, Reading no. 18, 48
Jan. 19	The general election and the electoral college Governing -- the transition -- campaign mini project due	Pika and Maltese, pp. 61-83 TBA Nelson, Reading no. 49 Pika and Maltese, 84-85 Nelson, Reading no. 12
Jan. 26	Defining the office	Pika and Maltese, Ch. 1 Nelson, Reading no. 7, 13, 14
Feb. 2	Origins of the office Constitutional powers	Nelson, Reading no. 1,2,3, 15 16. Nelson, Reading no. 4-6, 8, 9, 20
Feb. 9	Staff appointments and the first 100 days The Cabinet and bureaucracy	Pika and Maltese, pp.252-261 Nelson, Reading no. 23, 25 Pika and Maltese, pp.261-289 Nelson, Reading no. 19, 28
Feb. 16	Cabinet/staff mini project due Congressional relations	Eisenhower's Farewell Address (link on Blackboard) Marshall Plan speech (link on Blackboard) Pika and Maltese, Ch. 5 Nelson, Reading no. 22, 24, 38, 44, 47
Feb. 23	Public support The media	Pika and Maltese, pp. 93-119 Nelson, Reading no. 17, 39, 40, 41, 42 Pika and Maltese, pp. 120-137 Nelson, Reading no. 43, 45, 46, 50
Mar. 2	SPRING BREAK
Mar. 9	Other actors -- courts, parties, etc. Psychological views on the presidency	Pika and Maltese, Ch. 7 Nelson, Reading no. 27 Comparative study (link on Blackboard) Pika and Maltese, Ch. 4 Nelson, Reading no.
Mar. 16	Presidential auto/biography project due	TBA
Mar. 23	Domestic policy	Pika and Maltese, Ch. 8 Nelson, Reading no. 26, 30, 33 Governor reading (link on Blackboard)
Mar. 30	Domestic/economic policy	Pika and Maltese, Ch. 9 Nelson, Reading no. 34
Apr. 6	Economic policy	Pika and Maltese, Ch. 11 Nelson, Reading no. 29
Apr. 13	National security and foreign policy making	Pika and Maltese, Ch. 10 Nelson, Reading no. 10, 21, 31, 32, 35, 36, 51, 52, 53
Apr. 20	Research project reports and wrap-up
	Final exam --	April 28, 1:30-4:00

 

Updated: Monday, October 18, 2010

Return to Faculty and Staff

Loading

About Site | Campus Directory | Ask UNCP | University Calendar