The purpose of this paper is to analyze an aspect of a presidency. Topics will be selected during the first week of the course. The paper must be submitted for approval no later than the date indicated on the syllabus. No two people will write on the same topic, though several may write about the same presidency. The topic areas are:
1. Foriegn policy
2. Domestic/economic policy
3. Press and popular leadership
4. Legislative relations
5. Administrative management
You should begin with a brief staement of the most important characteristics of the president's administration in the area on which you are concentrating. What were the high points, the key trends, the major turning points? Did the presidency succeed in this area. If so, how? If not, why not? What unique contributions, if any, did this president make to the long-term development of the presidency in this area.
To the fullest extent possible, your research should be based on original, rather than secondary, sources. In other words, please do not simply rehash someone else's analysis. Instead, consult the newspapers and journals of the time, presidential papers and documents, memoirs of presidents and their aides, and other first-hand accounts that provide a personal view of the decision-making process. The depth and breadth of your research will be a very important factor in the assessment of your paper. Papers that draw on a small number of sources, that simply repeat the findings of those sources, that offer no thoughtful insights will not meet the standards of this course.
In addition to the research paper, everyone should submit eelctronically a 2-page summary of your findings to be shared with the entire class. This should identify the key events, legislative initiatives (where appropriate), trends, and other primary characteristics of the performance of the president in the area of your analysis.
Format. Your paper must be typed and the text may not exceed 8 double-spaced pages. You should cite all of your sources in footnotes and bibliography (the bibliography does not count in the page limit). Footnotes at the bottom of the page are preferred, if you use a word processing program - like Microsoft Word - that facilitates that. Footnotes at the end of the text are acceptable. Please do not cite references in the text, in the so-called APA format; instead, include them in footnotes of the sort exemplified below. Direct quotes should be placed in quotations and the source cited. Ideas and interpretations that are not original with you, whether quoted directly or not, should also be cited. Nobody ever got in trouble for having too many citations. Your paper should have a title page and a blank page at the end for comments. Citation examples:
John A. Smith, My Years with Eisenhower (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964), p. 135.
John A. Smith, "Eisenhower's Finest Hour," Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol. 14, June, 1981, p. 269.
Writing quality and presentation format are very important. Your paper should be literate, grammatically correct and without misspellings. It should be neatly typed and organized. Please use no plastic or other expensive covers. A staple in the upper left hand corner is preferred. Leave margins wide enough for comments. Number your pages, and type your name on each page. The grade you receive will reflect the quality of your writing as well as the effort reflected in your reserach and the intelligence of your arguments.