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PIR-40130 - Module Specification
School of Social, Political and Global Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023

PIR-40130 - The US Presidency and Public Policy
Coordinator: Jon Herbert Room: CBB2.027 Tel: +44 1782 7 33539
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23

The US Presidency is a phenomenally high-profile institution, yet its power is constrained in a range of ways. This module considers how a Clinton, Bush or Obama should be studied by researchers. How much attention is the role of the individual worth? Can the institution's behaviour be understood regardless of which individual occupies the Oval Office? What forces shape presidential behaviour - systemic, electoral, partisan, intellectual? Using a swathe of contemporary research, the module looks at different ways of understanding the office and its behaviour, particularly with reference to its policymaking powers. It provides a broad introduction to researching the presidency. The module also puts particular emphasis on the presidency's capacity to change public policy (adopting "the policy approach") by examining the role the presidency might play within different understandings of public policymaking.

Aims
The module is designed to:
Equip students to analyse presidential attempts to change public policy in the US;
Prepare students for research into the US presidency using policy approaches, by familiarising them with a series of methodologies deployed by researchers in the field.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/pir-40130/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

analyse research methods used in presidential scholarship, demonstrating awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches; will be achieved by assessments: 1,2
analyse presidential strategies deployed in attempts to change US public policy. will be achieved by assessments: 2

Study hours

Seminars: 12 x 2 hours = 24 Hours
Seminar Preparation: 9 x 3 hours = 27 Hours
Assessment 1 Preparation (including preparation for in-class presentation) = 36 Hours
Assessment 2 Preparation = 63 Hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Commentary weighted 40%
Analysis of an approach to studying the US Presidency
A 1,500 word analysis of a particular methodological approach to understanding presidential leadership. Students will study a range of approaches in Weeks 1-6 and then present on one approach in the Week 7 seminar as a precursor to submitting the commentary.

2: Essay weighted 60%
Policy-based case study of presidential leadership
A 3,000 word essay considering the interaction between presidential and public policy scholarship through a case study of a president's particular attempt to lead policy change.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 19 January 2023