This course syllabus provides an overview of a class on the American presidency. The class will use lectures, videos, seminars and a final presentation to give students a deeper understanding of US presidents and the context of the presidency. It will cover the history of the White House and presidents, first ladies, and vice presidents. Students will take quizzes, submit a reflective paper and do a group presentation. The class meets once a week for 1.5 hours and can only be taken on a pass/no pass basis. Grading will be based on participation, quizzes, a paper, and the presentation. The syllabus outlines the topics to be covered in each of the 14 weekly classes.

1. Facilitators:
Sierra Barton, snbarton@berkeley.edu
Nazo Demirdjian, nazojohn@berkeley.edu
Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Bussell
“The Buck Stops Here”: The Inner-Workings of the Presidency
Fall 2015 Syllabus
This course delves into the general history of the White House, encompassing not only the
presidents themselves but also their journeys to and during the presidency, their first ladies, and
their vice presidents. We will provide students with a deeper appreciation for and understanding
of the context of the presidential institution; we hope that, from this, students will gain a more
critical understanding of their political leaders - both past and present. The course will be taught
almost entirely through lectures, with occasional educational videos, group seminars, and a final
presentation.
Class will meet once per week for 1.5 hours; in keeping with DeCal policy, students may miss 2
classes. However, missing more than 2 classes, except in the case of documented emergencies,
is grounds for failure of the course. Quizzes can be made up within a week, but it is up to the
student to set-up when he or she will do so.
Participation in class is highly encouraged but not mandatory, excluding seminars. Over the
course of the semester, students will submit one reflective papers of a minimum of 2 pages; this
will be due Week 8 of the course and will be graded on completion, effort, and accuracy. There
will also be 5 quizzes scattered throughout the course and a group presentation capping the
semester, details of which can be found under Week 14. The class in its entirety may only be
taken on a pass/no pass basis, and grading will be determined according to the following rubric:
Participation: 45%
Quizzes: 15%
Essay: 20%
Presentation: 20%
MATERIALS: American Presidents Coloring Book (Dover History Coloring Book); $4.99 new
on Amazon
Week One: Introduction
During this class we will conduct a basic overview of the course, the grading and attendance
policies, and the expectations we have from our students.
- No readings
Week Two: Presidential Firsts
During this class we will discuss firsts of the presidency, providing a basic backdrop for the
lectures to come.
- William Henry Harrison (13); Abraham Lincoln (20); Grover Cleveland (26)
Week Three: Presidential Party Politics

2. This class will track and document the rise and fall of political parties throughout American
history. Key topics will include polarization between parties, the death of parties, and the rise of
the two party system, as well as discussion of the longevity and uniqueness of the two party
system.
- George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe,
John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John
Tyler (5-14)
- Rich Rubino, “Democratic and Republican Ideologies Undergo Dramatic Role Reversal,”
Huffington Post, June 13, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rich-rubino/democratic-
and-republican-ideologies_b_3432210.html.
Week Four: James K. Polk
This class will look more closely at the little known Polk Presidency (1845-1849). Key topics
will include not only President Polk himself but also Manifest Destiny, the Mexican-American
War, Antebellum sectionalism, and presidential ranking.
- James K. Polk (15)
- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., “Rating the Presidents: Washington to Clinton,” Political
Science Quarterly 112, no. 2 (Summer 1997): 179-190,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2657937.
- QUIZ 1
Week Five: Vice Presidents
This class will provide a quick glance at the historical development of the second-in-command.
Key topics will include the modern day importance of choosing a vice president, the modern
phenomena of vice presidential debates, the evolution of the position itself, and some notable
vice presidents (including Al Gore, Walter Mondale, etc.).
- Andrew Johnson (21); Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James
Buchanan (16-19)
- Amy C. Gaudion and Douglas Stuart, “More than just a Running Mate,” The New York
Times, July 19, 2012, http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/more-than-
just-a-running-mate/.
Week Six: “I Am Not a Crook” - Presidential Scandal
This class will explore the scandals that have wracked the presidency and cracked the White
House. Key topics will include the Whiskey Ring Scandal, the Credit Mobilier Scandal, the
Teapot Dome Scandal, Watergate, and the Monica Lewinsky Scandal as well as both comic
satire of the president and the impact of scandal on American perceptions of the presidency.
- Ulysses S. Grant (22); Warren G. Harding (32); Richard M. Nixon (40); William
Jefferson Clinton (45)
- Marc Fisher, “As Years Pass, Watergate Scandal Drifts Toward Myth,” The Seattle
Times, June 17, 2012, http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/as-years-pass-
watergate-scandal-drifts-toward-myth.
- QUIZ 2
Week Seven: “Anxious and Interested Spectators” - The Monroe Doctrine
This class will dissect the ramifications of the Monroe Doctrine (1823) on American foreign
policy in action and conception. Key topics will include the context of the original Doctrine,

3. James Monroe himself, the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, the Good Neighbor
Policy, the Truman Doctrine, and the Eisenhower Doctrine.
NOTE: Readings on the next page
- Review James Monroe and John Quincy Adams (9-10); Theodore Roosevelt (29)
- “Monroe Doctrine Definition Asked,” The New York Times, February 8, 1920, 1,3.
- Mark T. Gilderhus, “The Monroe Doctrine: Meanings and Implications,” Presidential
Studies Quarterly 36, no. 1 (Mar. 2006): 5-16, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27552742.
Week Eight: “Fit as a Bull Moose” - Theodore Roosevelt
This class will examine the life and presidency of Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909). Key topics
will include pre-presidency Roosevelt (i.e. Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War and
Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and New York City Police Commissioner),
Rooseveltian force of personality, the “Big Stick” or World’s Policemen Policy, the election of
1904, Progressivism, and conservationism. We will also briefly review the Roosevelt Corollary
in this new context.
- Review Theodore Roosevelt (29)
- ESSAY DUE
Week Nine: “The World Must be Made Safe for Democracy” - Woodrow Wilson
This class will cover the life and times of Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921). Key topics will
include Wilson’s pre-presidency life (i.e. Wilson the academic and Wilson as Governor of New
Jersey), Democratic Progressivism, the controversy over the 19th Amendment, and the League
of Nations. We will also track each step of Wilson’s approach to World War I.
- Woodrow Wilson (31)
- QUIZ 3
Week Ten: “I am Stripped to the Buff” - The 1912 Election
This class will merge and expand off the previous two classes. Key topics will include the
election itself, the roles of William Taft, the development of the Progressive Party, the
supplantation of Republican Progressivism with Democratic Progressivism, and the lasting re-
alignment and polarization of conservative versus liberal parties.
- William Howard Taft (30)
- John Avlon, “What We in 2012 can Learn from Teddy Roosevelt in 1912,” CNN, August
6, 2012, http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/06/opinion/avlon-teddy-roosevelt-100-years/.
- QUIZ 4
Week Eleven: “No Definition, No Pay & No Official Power” - First Ladies
This week will shift the focus away from the (so far) male-dominated Presidency to look at the
other half of the White House power couple - first ladies. Key topics will include not only
biographies and achievements of various First Ladies but also changes in the traditional roles and
expectations of the First Lady.
- Lewis L. Gould, “Modern First Ladies in Historical Perspective,” Presidential Studies
Quarterly 15, no. 3 (1985): 532-540, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27550241.

4. - OPTIONAL: Robert P. Watson, “The ‘White Glove Pulpit’: A History of Policy
Influence by First Ladies,” OAH Magazine of History 15, no.3 (2001): 9-14,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25163435.
Week Twelve: Presidents and the Media
This class will examine the curious relationship between the media and the presidency, from
campaigns to the perceptions of an incumbent president. Specific focus will be given to how
presidents handle the press in conjunction with how the press handles the president. Class will
also feature clips from various election debates, all of which are listed below. Key topics will
include election archetypes and imagery; the Reagan “cellophane presidency;” the advent of
televised debates; and both the stages and implications of the transition from “accepting” to
“watchdog” media coverage of the presidency.
- John F. Kennedy (38); James Earl Carter (42); Ronald Reagan (43); George Bush, Sr.
(44)
- Pamela Rutledge, “Hillary Clinton & Social Media: Can Ruler Archetypes Use the
Outlaw’s Tools?” Media Psychology Blog, April 12, 2015,
http://mprcenter.org/blog/2015/04/why-the-nature-of-social-media-conflicts-with-hillary-
clintons-brand-archetype/?hvid=4Du9X.
- Eric Quinones, “Q&A Public Opinion Plays Shifting Role in Presidential Policy
Decisions,” News at Princeton, March 27, 2006,
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S14/41/58K61/index.xml.
- QUIZ 5
- In-class videos:
- “Rick Santorum Calls President Obama a ‘Nig’” -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgrhJSAaYIc
- “Senator, You’re No Jack Kennedy” -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWXRNySMW4s
- “Reagan and the ‘Age Issue’” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJhCjMfRndk
- “Clinton v. Bush, 1992” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ffbFvKlWqE
Week Thirteen: One Eye Forward, One Eye Back - The 2016 Election
This class will feature a brief overview of the individuals who have announced their candidacy in
the 2016 election before proceeding to a socratic seminar. The ~hour long open discussion is
intended to relate the themes of the course on a both personal and objective basis to the 2016
election. Ideas for discussion include but are not limited to: what does the election mean to you,
do you see contradiction in people’s policies, and how is the media handling (or failing to
handle) different candidates/platforms. Students will not be required to disclose their personal
politics, but rather their informed perception of the election around them. (Readings: next page).
- George Walker Bush, Barack Obama (46-47)
- David Von Drehle, “The Clinton Way,” Time.com, March 12, 2015,
http://time.com/3741847/the-clinton-way/. (handed out previous week)
- ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENT: Before class, take the candidate poll at
http://www.isidewith.com/political-quiz
Week Fourteen: Presentations
The final class will consist of group presentations, wherein groups of 3-4 respond to a
historically influenced scenario as if they are the president’s advisor; for instance, Group A

5. might receive the prompt “It is 1967 and America recently shot down a Russian spy plane over
the United States. How do you advise the President to respond?” Rubrics and topics will be
given out two weeks beforehand, with grading focusing on plausibility, accuracy, and
recognition of historical and personal context (i.e. incorporating which president you’re talking
to in which time period).