Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

American Presidency: Executive Process (Online)

POLS 3110-30I

Course: POLS 3110-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 33898

Course Description

Examination of the American presidency, including historical foundations, constitutional provisions, the various constituencies the president is expected to serve, the different roles the president fills, and comparisons with executives in other government organizations. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION
ISBN: 9780190458201
BY JONES, CHARLES O.
PUBLISHED BY OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, INCORPORATED 2ND ED.
PUBLICATION DATE: JUL. 1, 2016
LIST PRICE: $12.99
 
THE PRESIDENCY AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
ISBN: 9781544317298
BY MICHAEL NELSON
PUBLISHED BY CQ PRESS 11TH ED.
PUBLICATION DATE: APR. 12, 2018

Learning Outcomes

This course explores the presidency and the modern executive in historical context. While the course will primarily focus on the US presidency, we will engage in comparative discussions of other modern executive leaders including prime ministers, governors, and mayors and others. In this course, students will complete written and oral assigns that require them to consider the following questions: What is the nature and source of executive power?  Who are the great presidents? What criteria should we use to make this assessment? Should that criteria be rooted in normative (moral) or positivist (objective) scientific measurements of power? What historical forces and circumstances contribute to “presidential greatness? What is the role of the modern president and what functions does they serve as "chief executive administrator" and "national leader" in the contemporary American republic. How have these roles evolved since the founding of the country? These are some of the compelling questions that we will explore in this course. Drawing on both empirical and conceptual insights from leading scholars in the field, we will analyze the social, political and economic forces that shaped the personal leadership styles and historical legacies of some of most famous and infamous Presidents.

Student Learning Outcomes

1)     Students will become conversant with the conceptual criteria used by presidential historians and political scientists to assess great vs. weak presidents
2)     Students will gain a conceptual understanding of the presidency as an “executive” institution as outlined in Article II of the US Constitution vs. the personal presidency as shaped by particular "historical figures"
3)     Students will be able to distinguish between formal (positional) vs. informal (personal) sources of power behind the presidency
4)     Students will develop an understanding of the various roles that US president play (i.e. Chief administrator and head of state)  in contemporary American politics
5)     Students will glean an understanding of the formal vs. formal qualifications for becoming president

Course Requirements

INTENSIVE READING & WRITING EXPECTED IN THIS COURSE
This is a research and writing intensive course! Students who are enrolled are expected to spend a substantial amount of time outside of class time reading and gathering additional information resources in order to both enrich class discussion and prepare their written assignments.

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly 3 Page Summary Papers.........................................................................................................................................20%
Full and complete sentences will be expected
Full and complete paragraphs will be expected
No bullet points will be accepted


Midterm Essay.......................................................................................................................................................................40%
Midterm Essay will be written in the 5 paragraph essay format
Full and complete sentences will be expected
Full and complete paragraphs will be expected
No bullet points will be accepted

Semester Research Paper.....................................................................................................................................................40% 
  • 25 pages in total, including title page, abstract page, and bibliography
  • Extensive outside scholarly research will be required
  • You must use 8 to 10 scholarly sources (a minimum of 3 scholarly books and 5 scholarly articles)
    • All sources must be presented on a list and receive the written approval of the professor no later than week 4 of the semester
  • All paper formatting will conform to APA standards (Any version of APA will be accepted. 
    • Choose one APA version and use that one consistently throughout the whole paper
  • Extensive In-text citation that matches bibliographical notes at the end will be expected
  • All papers must be written and submitted in MS Word format (any recent version that is machine readable)
  • All text formatting will be New Times Roman in 11pt size font. 
  • All paragraph and sentence line spacing will be 1.5
  • Full and complete sentences will be expected
  • Full and complete sentences will be expected
  • No-AI assistance of any kind will be permitted. This includes but not limited to, language translation, grammar check, or any other assistance. when you use AI in "corrupts" the text coding of your entire MS Word Document
  • All papers will be submitted through the SUU plagiarism check service that identifies the Use of AI assistance

Course Outline

INTRODUCTION: Charles O. Jones The Presidency: A very short introduction: Weeks 1, 2 & 3
Week 1 Read: Chapters 1 & 2
Week 2 Read: Chapters 3 & 4
Week 3 Read  Chapters 5, 6, & 7


PART I. APPROACHES TO THE PRESIDENCY: Week 4
  • INTRODUCTION TO THE COUSE
  •  STUDYING THE PRESIDENCY USING SCHOLARLY CRITERIAL
    • Read: 1. "The Two Constitutional Presidencies", Jeffrey Tulis from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Video: Frank Sciortino, St. Francis College, Presidential Power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgrqdGN8X4E
    • Read: 2. "Studying the Presidency", Lyn Ragsdale Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Video:  “Perspectives on American Political Leadership Today: A Panel in Honor of James MacGregor Burns”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiPv-yc1Uac
    • 2 to 3 Additional Scholarly Articles That Are Required Will Be Handed Out in Class to Supplement Student Learning on This topic.

 PART II. ELEMENTS OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER A: Weeks 5 & 6
  •  Define Presidential Power
    • Read: 3. "The Development of Presidential Power: Conservative Insurgency and Constitutional Construction", Stephen Skowronek Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Video:  “Presidential Power in America: the Constitution, the Defense of the Nation, and the National Ethos.” Panel leader: Lou Fisher of the Library of Congress. Panelists: Daniel Hoffman (Johnson C. Smith University), Rick Waterman (University of Kentucky) and, Donald Robinson (Smith College):” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyI2cOC72uQ
    • Read: 17. "The Presidency and Unilateral Power: A Taxonomy", Andrew Rudalevige from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch 2 Videos: “Bill Clinton on the power of a President…Fortune managing editor Andy Serwer discusses how much power presidents have over the economy with the 42nd U.S. President, who was in the midst of his annual Clinton Global Initiative extravaganza in New York City in 2011” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx8uLt_4xDw  AND “President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton discuss Presidential Leadership Scholars. Joshua Bolten moderates this conversation between President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton on September 8, 2014. The presidents discuss the Presidential Leadership Scholars, a partnership between the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon.”
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aub6LBeoizU
    • Read: 4. "The Presidency in History: Leading from the Eye of the Storm", Marc Landy, Sidney Milkis fromMichael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
      Watch Video In Class: In class: “All the Presidents Men”
    • 2 to 3 Additional Scholarly Articles That Are Required Will Be Handed Out in Class to Supplement Student Learning on This topic.

PART II. ELEMENTS OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER B: Weeks 7 & 8
  • Informal vs Formal Power (Hard Power Soft Power)
    • Read: 19. "The Presidency at War: Unchecked Power, Uncertain Leadership", Andrew Polsky from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Video: CrossTalk: Peter Lavelle, The Imperial Presidency, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyTYAIN5-Ks
    • Read: 5. "Presidential Competence", Paul Quirk from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System. 
    • Watch 2 Videos: “Michael Dukakis counters Republican "ideology" with Democratic "competence" — and gives platform to future winner Bill Clinton.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNjlwDMwQCY AND “1992 Presidential Debate”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCGtHqIwKek
    • Read 6. "The Psychological Presidency", Michael Nelson from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch video: David Wilhelm, CEO of New Harvest Ventures, TEDxEmory, “Political Psychology:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km5NrI8USdE
    • 2 to 3 Additional Scholarly Articles That Are Required Will Be Handed Out in Class to Supplement Student Learning on This topic.

PART III. PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION  Weeks 9 & 10
  • Who Wants to Be President? (Formal Constitutional Criteria vs. Informal Qualities)
PART IV. PRESIDENTS AND POLITICS  Weeks 11 & 12
  • Campaign Promises vs. Governing Realities
    • Read: 9. "The Presidential Spectacle", Bruce Miroff from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Read: 10. "The Presidency and the Media: Two Faces of Democracy", Elvin Lim  from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Two Videos: “US presidential election 2012 - Social media and the US presidential race:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9GItuJikW8. AND Frank Gilliam, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw0qXeeiCXc
    • Read: 11. "The Presidency and Interest Groups: Allies, Adversaries, and Policy Leadership", Daniel Tichenor from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Read: 12. "The Presidency and Political Parties", Sidney Milkis from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Video: “Lectures in History: History of Political Parties:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VMErOtKwsg
    • 2 to 3 Additional Scholarly Articles That Are Required Will Be Handed Out in Class to Supplement Student Learning on This topic.

PART V. PRESIDENTS AND GOVERNMENT Weeks 13 & 14
  • "Hail to the Chief": The Chief Executive of the Federal Government
    • Read: 13. "The Institutional Presidency", John Burke from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Read: 14. "The Presidency and the Bureaucracy": The Levers of Presidential Control, David Lewis, Terry Moe from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Video: “Presidential Politicization of the Bureaucracy:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yavpDH03CDw
    • Read: 18. "The Three Presidencies: Power and Policy", Roger Porter from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch Video: “Second in Clinton Lecture Series on Policy at Georgetown University:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2hebOQrFr0
    • Read: 15. "The President and Congress", Matthew Dickinson from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch 2 Videos: David Mayhew, the Sterling Professor of Political Science at Yale University, “Congress and the Presidency: Dissonance in their Electoral Behavior:”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQH-vTZc66o AND  “UC Berkeley panel of experts looks at the constitutional powers granted to presidents during times of crises and the role the Framers expected the legislative and judicial branches to play to keep presidential power in check: The Imperial Presidency and the Founding”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1qGDeAZ9-w
    • Read: 16. "The Presidency and the Judiciary", David Yalof from Michael Nelson, The Presidency & The Presidential System.
    • Watch 5 Very Brief Videos:
      “On November 11th and 12th, 2007, a national conference titled "The Presidency and the Supreme Court", was held at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. The Keynote address was delivered by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.”
      The Presidency and the Supreme Court Part 2
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf1IBfWyD8I
      The Presidency and the Supreme Court Part 3
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gs9f1Cq-LI
      The Presidency and the Supreme Court Part 4
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLDRAAbIzJk
      The Presidency and the Supreme Court Part 5
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6TQJ81m_dk
    • 2 to 3 Additional Scholarly Articles That Are Required Will Be Handed Out in Class to Supplement Student Learning on This topic.

Wrap-Up Week 15

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Employers expect that those they hire arrive on-time and complete all of their work in a timely and professional manner. To prepare students for the real-world and help them hone a strong professional work ethic, all students in enrolled in this course will be held to firm deadlines and high performance standards. Very rare exceptions to this policy may be made for students who have first secured support from the SUU Disabilities Resource Center. Also, at the sole discretion of the instructor, exceptions may be made students for reasons of unforeseen personal illness or illness or death of a close relative. In any case, formal documentation from a physician or other pertinent authority will be required to be given consideration for an extension of any deadline for any assignment for any reason.
(Note: SUU's pregnancy policy is outlined clearly elsewhere in this syllabus).

Attendance Policy

As this is special on-line offering for one student, no participation is necessary

Course Fees

There are no extra course fees beyond the books

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.