POS.2100 Law and the Presidency: An Historical Perspective
In this course, we will take an historical look at the American Presidency in relation to the American constitution and the American system of law. Topics covered will include presidential elections, personalities and power of presidents, and examples of the exercise of presidential prerogative in crises and wars. After a brief introduction focusing on the perils and challenges of the presidency today, we will look back at the creation of the Presidency in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in light of the philosophy of Locke and Machiavelli. From there, we will move on to consider the contributions of Presidents: from Washington and Jefferson to Lincoln, from TR and Wilson to FDR, Truman, Nixon, Reagan, and beyond to the current president.