Welcome to Malone

PACE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

POL 296N

ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Welcome to the class!

Welcome to Road to the White House 2008. This course is designed to give you a better understanding of the historic evolution and development of the American political process through a look at the 2008 presidential election. We will meet every Thursday beginning @ 2PM at the Midtown Campus, which is located in the French Building (45^th street and Fifth Avenue), in room 814.

This class is a partnership with C-SPAN, The Cable Center and the University of Denver, and George Mason University. You will be connected to students at DU in Denver and George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, along with our guests who will join us from the CSPAN studios in Washington DC. Collectively, we will be offering a dynamic course, unlike any other class anywhere in the country. From debates and conventions to political ads and candidate speeches, you will have the ability to watch key moments in past presidential campaigns. In addition, you will be able to follow (and blog) on the developments during this historic presidential election season.

So welcome! Come prepared with insightful questions. Meet the course deadlines. Follow along as we give you new insights into American politics. And at the conclusion of this class, you will take a more critical look at the way we elect our president.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pace University

Dr. Christopher Malone is an Associate Professor and Director of the Honors College at Pace University’s Department of Political Science.

Phone Number: 212.346.1146 or 212-346-1697

E-mail address: cmalone@pace.edu

University of Denver

Steven L. Scully is the Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. Chair at The Cable Center in partnership with the University of Denver’s School of Communication and the Office of the Provost.

Phone Number: 202.626.7956

E-mail address: sscully@c-span.org

Mailing Address: 400 North Capitol Street, NW

Suite # 650

Washington, D.C. 20001

George Mason University

Steve Klein teaches and is coordinator of the Electronic Journalism Program and oversees the Journalism concentration in the communication department of George Mason University, located approximately 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. in Fairfax, Virginia.

Phone Number: 703.625.1968

E-mail address: sklein1@gmu.edu

Course Description

The first thing which strikes our attention [about the Constitution] is, that the executive authority, with few exceptions, is to be vested in a single magistrate…

- Alexander Hamilton

The Federalist No.69, 1788

Let me warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. This spirit exists under different shapes in all government; more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed, but in those of the popular form it is seen in its greater rankness and is truly their worst enemy...It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; foments occasional riot and insurrection...

- George Washington

Farewell Address, 1796

[The president] is the party nominee and the only party nominee for whom the whole nation votes…He can dominate his party by being spokesman for the real sentiment and purpose of the country, by giving direction to opinion, by giving the country at once the information and the statements of policy which will enable it to form its judgments alike of parties and of mean…He may be both the leader of his party and the leader of the nation, or he may be one or the other. If he can lead the nation, his party can hardly resist him...

- Woodrow Wilson

Constitutional Government in the United States, 1908

When the Framers sat down in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to draft the Constitution, they had little idea of how they were going to design the office of the presidency. With absolutely no precedent in history upon which to base the parameters of the office, they were nonetheless certain of a few things. First, the Framers wanted a chief executive independent from the other branches of government, especially the legislative branch. Second, they wanted a chief executive insulated from the passions of the people, thus ensuring the person chosen would not become a demagogue. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they wanted a chief executive that would rise above what James Madison called the “mischief’s of faction,” thus giving voice to all the people rather than to the special interests that formed in society. The Framers then went about the task of designing a process of presidential selection that served all of these ends.

Yet, the process by which candidates are chosen today for the office of the presidency has changed in ways that were unimaginable to the Framers. In our current two-party system, contenders for the office of presidency must capture the nomination of their respective parties – the same institutions that George Washington warned would kindle “the animosity of one part against another.”

the quarter, we will focus on the presidential selection process. We will take an in-depth look at what candidates have to do in order to capture the party nomination, and the role that political parties play in linking voters to the only nationally elected office in the American system of government. We will also examine other important aspects of the process, including the role of the media and interest groups, and the demands of campaign financing. When this quarter concludes in November, you should be able to make informed judgments about the impact of the presidential selection process on the democratic character of the American political system.

course will begin by looking at the creation, evolution, and current operating structure of the presidential selection process. Next it will turn to the financial, partisan, and media environments in which presidential elections occur. These environmental factors will be analyzed in some detail in an effort to discern how they affect candidate strategies and election outcomes. The strategy and tactics of the candidates as they proceed through the nomination process and then the general elections will be studied by looking at their principal components and how they fit together to form a strategy for victory. A particular emphasis of this section of the course will be the manner in which the candidates react to (and manipulate) the media in their campaigns. Finally, the course will turn to the analysis of this current presidential race with leading newsmakers, political commentators and journalists.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1.) Attendance & Participation 15 points: It goes without saying that your attendance and participation is critical to the success of this class. This course is intended to be interesting, informative and interactive, but it WILL NOT work if you don’t participate. Also, three books are required reading for this quarter. Professors Scully, Klein and I will be referring to the two political books during the next ten weeks, while James MacGregor Burns’ book will be the subject of your final report. Additional reading material will also be distributed throughout the quarter to supplement the text and provide you with background on classroom discussions. You are required to be prepared for each class AND each guest.

2.) Campaign Strategy Report: How to Win: 25 points Based on the success of Kennedy in ’60; Johnson in ’64; Nixon in ’68; Carter in ’76; Reagan in ’80; Bush in ’88; Clinton in ’92 and Bush in ’00; you are to conduct a research paper which includes the following:

a.) Select one of the above campaigns, summarize and analyze the following:

· The political environment that year

· The circumstances which led to his victory

· Key “turning points” in the election (from nomination to general election)

b.) Apply those lessons to 2008:

· What is the 2008 “political environment”

· What circumstances will the Democratic & Republican nominees inherit

· What have been some of the key “turning points” (so far) that have affected the 2008 race

This is a research/analysis paper. You are to use a minimum of six (6) outside sources. The paper should be clearly written, with a solid introduction, thesis statement, analysis and conclusions. The paper should be between 7-8 pages; typed double-spaced, 1” margins, 12 point font. Attribute all quotes; include a bibliography

As part of your research, you MUST include material from this website:

www.livingroomcandidate.com Based on the campaign you selected, include an analysis of the type of advertising used that particular year, and what impact (if any) the media campaign had on the final outcome.

3.) Exam 20 points: A single exam will be administered during the semester, which will include a series of short answer, multiple choice and essay questions. Unless you contact me in advance, there are no make-ups offered for this test. You must take the test during the designated time.

4.) Final Book Report 20 points: What issues will our next president face? What factors will determine the outcome of the 2008 race? What “leadership” lessons can we take from past presidents? Based on what you learned from this class, this report should be divided into three (3) segments.

a.) Summarize the Burns book: What lessons did you take away from his research?

b.) Then, apply your findings analytically to the current campaign.

This final book report should be 5-6 pages in length. Attribute ALL your sources!

5.) AOK 1/Civic Engagement component 20 points. This is designated as an AOK 1 course, which means there is a civic engagement component to it. For this course, you will be required to do 25-30 outside of class that pertains to presidential politics. You may 1) volunteer on a campaign; 2) conduct interviews with people who work of a campaign;

FINAL GRADE:

1.) Participation & Attendance 15%

2.) Campaign Strategy Report 25% (Due: Thursday, October 4th)

3.) Exam 20%

4.) Final Book report: 20% (Due: Thursday, November 15^th)

5.) AOK 1 component 20%

REQUIRED TEXTS

"The Road to the White House 2008" (paperback) by Stephen J. Wayne, 400 pages (Wadsworth Publishing, 8th edition, June 27, 2007).

Note: This book will be available in the Pace Bookstore but is available somewhat cheaper online at Amazon. It is the latest (8^th) edition.

J. Wayne, a leading scholar of presidential electoral politics, describes and analyzes the crucial politics, procedures, and strategies behind campaign finance, media relations, nominating conventions and the general election. The post-election edition includes a thorough analysis of the entire 2000 presidential election and its dramatic conclusion.

A Washington-based insider for 40 years, Professor Wayne is a frequently-quoted commentator on the presidency and presidential elections. He has served as president of the Presidency Research Group and The National Capital Area Political Science Association, is a member of the editorial boards of the Presidential Studies Quarterly and Congress and the Presidency, regularly lectures to international visitors, senior federal executives, and college students in the United States and abroad. Professor Wayne has testified before Congress and committees of both major political parties.

THE WAY TO WIN: Taking the White House in 2008” (hardcover) by Mark Halperin and John F. Harris, 480 pages (Random House, Oct. 3, 2006).

: This book will be available in the Pace Bookstore but is available somewhat cheaper online at Amazon.

Publishers Weekly: Mark Halperin (ABC News) and John Harris (the Washington Post and “The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House”) illustrate "trade secrets" to political victory with this penetrating examination of the personal lives and political histories of the biggest names in recent presidential politics. From the losers (John Kerry and Al Gore, defeated because they "lost control of their public images") to the potential winners (Hillary Clinton, who, they assert, will have a significant fund-raising and fame advantage if she runs in 2008), the authors extract canny lessons in political strategy. But they offer particularly valuable insights into inadequately understood players like Matt Drudge, whom the authors credit as one of the greatest forces behind the Clinton impeachment and the Gore and Kerry losses, and Karl Rove, a man who, regardless of one's politics, "deserves unique notice for one reason: he is an exceptionally good political strategist." The authors' analyses are savvy and unsentimental, without collapsing into cynicism. Though very topical, the book's comprehensiveness should make it a lasting piece of scholarship—an in-depth, indefatigable examination of American media and politics at the turn of the millennium.

RUNNING ALONE: Presidential Leadership from JFK to Bush II -- Why It Has Failed and How We Can Fix It” (paperback) by James MacGregor Burns, 272 pages (Basic Books, Oct. 8, 2007).

Suggested web sites for news/ research and information:

The Constitution and Presidential Elections in Historical Overview, and Running for President

Campaign 2008: Wrapping up the Nomination, Presidential Organization, Tactics and Strategies