HI 283: The Twentieth Century American Presidency Boston University, Fall 2013 Wednesday 6-9 pm., CAS 229 Professor Michael Holm Teaching Fellow (TF) Dave Shorten History Department History Department Office 226 Bay State Road, # 506 Office: 226 Bay State Road, # B01 Email: mholm@bu.edu Email: dshorten@bu.edu Phone: 617 353-8305 Office Hours: M:4-5.30, W: 2:30-4 Office Hours: W: 3-5, R: 4-5. COURSE DESCRIPTION: HI283 explores the twentieth century American presidencies from a historical perspective. The course examines the shifting responsibilities of and institutional changes in the executive branch with a particular focus on foreign policy, wars, and the relationship between the White House and Congress. While we will examine the endeavors of individual presidents, the course will also focus on the political, social, economic, and military changes that have shaped the modern presidency. REQUIRED READINGS: H.W. Brands, Woodrow Wilson. Richard Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition and the Men who Made It. Bruce Schulman, Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism, 2nd edition. Barry Goldwater, The Conscience of a Conservative. Meg Jacobs and Julian Zelizer, Conservatives in Power: The Reagan Years, 1981-1989. Additional assigned readings will be available on blackboard. All books are available the Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Students can find additional course materials and assignments on the course Blackboard site: http://blackboard.bu.edu Sources available on Blackboard are designated on the syllabus with ** 1
FORMAT: The course will meet on Wednesdays from 6PM-9PM in CAS229. You will be expected to complete the readings for the week by the class session. Each session will combine lectures with a class discussion of the assigned readings. Students should attend each week s class and participate actively in the class discussion both in class and on the Blackboard forum each week. Throughout the semester, we will explore a number of different digital databases, which you will ultimately use for your research paper. COURSE WEBSITE: Active engagement with the course website on the Blackboard discussion forum is a mandatory component of the course. Each week 3-4 students will post 3 relevant research questions for discussion at least 48 hours in advance of class. The remaining students are required to comment on at least three of these questions each week before class meets. In addition, the TF will post one question on the board which all students are required to comment on. The purpose of this is to ensure that all contribute to a debate about the readings in preparation for class. Your participation will count toward your participation grade. The TF will run and monitor the course discussion forum. GRADE BREAKDOWN: Midterm: (20%): In-class 2 hour exam on October 23. Details on format and requirements to follow in class. Research Paper/Analytical Paper (25%): Students will be required to use either the digital databases or the online digital data base from any of the Presidential libraries to conduct an original 8-10 page (excluding front page and bibliography) research paper about a specific aspect of the American presidency. A proposal and annotated bibliography (10% of the paper grade) is due to the TF in class on October 30. The final paper is due in class on November 20. Further information regarding format and requirements to follow in class. Participation and Attendance (25%) Participation, online and in-class, is a mandatory component of the course. Final Exam during Exam Week (30%) The midterm and final examination must be taken on the two dates specified on the syllabus. Make-up examinations will be given after the scheduled examination time only for a valid medical reason. Any student missing the final examination for a valid medical reason must notify the professor and obtain his permission to miss the examination prior to the examination in order to receive an Incomplete grade. If an Incomplete is granted, the student and professor must agree on a date for a make-up examination. NOTE ON WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: For a detailed description of the proper format for historical essays, students should consult the BU History Department Writing Guide at: http://www.bu.edu/history/undergraduate-program/resources/writing-guide/ 2
NOTE ON PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is a serious offense. The Boston University Code of Academic Conduct defines plagiarism as any attempts by a student to represent the work of another as his or her own. Plagiarism is subject to serious sanctions, including reprimand, suspension, and expulsion. For a detailed description of Boston University s rules, consult the code of conduct at: http://www.bu.edu/academics/cas/policies/academic-conduct/ Schedule of Lectures and Weekly Assignments September 4 September 11 September 18 September 25 October 2 Introduction: Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition, pp. v-xi; 3-17. The Presidency in the Progressive Era Documents on American Empire.** Theodore Roosevelt on New Nationalism, 1910 and NYT editorial.** Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition, pp. 203-256. Brands, Woodrow Wilson, pp. 1-39. Digital Database: The Library of Congress s 1912 Election Resource Guide. The Presidency and the Great War: Power and its Limitations Brands, Woodrow Wilson, pp. 40-139. Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition, pp. 256-278. Speeches by President Wilson.** The Lodge Reservations and the debate in Congress.** Randolph Bourne, Twilight of Idols.** The Franklin Roosevelt Era: The New Deal Lawrence and Cornelia Levine, The People and the President, introduction.** Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition, pp. 311-347. Challenges from the Left and the Right.** Digital Database: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library Resource: The Fireside Chats. The Presidency and World War II: On Neutrality and Isolationism.** Henry Luce, The American Century. ** Speeches by FDR and Harry S. Truman.** Kimball, In Search of Monsters to Destroy. ** Listen to FDR (Dec, 1941-1945): The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=32 Listen to Truman s Speech to the U.N., June 25, 1945 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/mediaplay.php?id=12188&admin=33 3
October 9 October 16 October 23 October 30 November 6 November 13: November 20 The Presidency and the National Security State On Hiroshima.** The Decision to Drop the Bomb: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/hst/d.htm The Truman Doctrine.** Truman s Inaugural Address, 1949 and Truman on Korea.** Eisenhower speeches.** Camelot Theodore White, The Making of the President, (except).** Don Hewitt, Oral History of the Television Debates. ** http://emuseum.jfk.org/view/objects/asitem/term@1960%20presidential% 20election/5/title-asc?t:state:flow=59d40476-de57-4d58-816b- 6f024409b37b Digital Database: The 1960 Campaign: http://www.jfklibrary.org/jfk/jfk-in-history/campaign-of-1960.aspx Digital Database: The Living Room Candidate http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1960 Assignment: Look through the Life Magazine Data base on the election of Kennedy and the public portrayal of the Kennedy family. http://kottke.org/09/10/life-magazine-archive-online-for-free Midterm Review In-Class midterm: 2 hours. Presidential Crisis Management: The Cuban Missile Crisis Documentary in class on the Cuban Missile Crisis. JFK Televised Address on the Cuban missile crisis, 1962 (skim only, we will watch the speech in class).** JFK American University Speech, 1963.** Excerpts from the Kennedy Tapes.** Research Paper Proposal and annotated bibliography due to the TF in class. Lyndon Johnson: The Great Society and Civil Rights Required Reading: Schulman, Lyndon B. Johnson, pp. 36-131, 191-230. Digital Database: The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute. Recommended Reading: Schulman, Lyndon B. Johnson, pp. 1-35. The Imperial Presidency: Vietnam Schulman, Lyndon B. Johnson, pp. 133-164; 230-265. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, pp. 255-277.** Digital Database: The Miller Center Presidential Recording Project Nixon on Vietnam.** The Rise of Neo-Conservatism and the Challenge to the White House in the 1970s Goldwater, The Conscience of a Conservative, pp. 1-120. Jacobs and Zelizer, Conservatives in Power pp. 72-85. 4
Carter and Reagan.** Research Paper due in class November 27 December 4 December 11 Date TBD Thanksgiving: No class The Reagan Era Jacobs and Zelizer, Conservatives in Power, pp. 41-53; 141-217. Ronald Reagan s Inaugural Address.** Digital Data Base: National Security Archive on Iran-Contra http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsaebb/nsaebb210/ The America of George W. Bush and Barack Obama Speeches by George W. Bush.** Andrew Bacevich, The Limits of Power, (excerpt).** Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, pp. ix-xxiv.** Texts by Barack Obama.** In class discussion: Evaluating Obama. Final Exam 5