POLS
POLSPOLS
POLS
4111/6111:
4111/6111:4111/6111:
4111/6111:
T
TT
T
HE
HE HE
HE
A
AA
A
MERICAN
MERICAN MERICAN
MERICAN
P
PP
P
RESIDENCY
RESIDENCYRESIDENCY
RESIDENCY
Potential Questions for the Final Exam
The exam will consist of three of these questions. Your answers will be limited to a total of
one exam booklet. Each question is worth 33 points. When answering the questions, be sure
to explicitly address each part of the question.
1. Has the ‘help’ (as in “The President needs help.”) helped? Using several class readings, discuss the value of the institutional presidency...
a. (20 points) Using both John Burke’s chapter 14 in Nelson (“The Institutional Presidency”), and Neustadt’s own chapter 7
(“Men in Office”), discuss the purpose of the help and describe the help the president has/can get.
b. (13 points) Using David E. Lewis’s chapter 15 in Nelson (“The Presidency and the Bureaucracy”), Neustadt’s chapter 7, and
any other (specifically noted) class material (since the second exam), discuss whether or not you think the ‘help’ afforded the
institutionalized presidency is enough.
2. In Nelson’s chapter 17 (“The President and Congress”) Matthew J. Dickenson discusses the president’s relationship with Congress.
a. (11 points) Dickenson argues that the best way to understand this relationship is through political parties. Explain.
b. (11 points) Do Quirk & Nesmith (Nelson chapter 19, “Divided Government...”) support or challenge Dickenson? Explain.
c. (11 points) Using specific information and examples from one or more of Quirk & Nesmith, Neustadt (10, “Reappraising
Power, and 12, “A Matter of Detail”), and any other (specifically noted) class material (since the second exam), is there
evidence from recent administrations (Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II) to support Dickenson's thesis? Explain.
3. The most obvious manifestation of presidential power is probably in the legislative arena. Recently, this arena has been
dominated by virtually equally-balanced, highly competitive political parties.
a. (20 points) Using the Dickenson and Quirk & Nesmith chapters in Nelson (17, “The President and Congress”) and 19, “Divided
Government...”), discuss the effect of parties on the president’s ability to govern – and especially to work with Congress.
b. (13 points) Using one or more specifically noted class materials listed below, discuss the effect parties have played in recent
administrations (i.e., Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II).
• Neustadt: chapter 10 (“Reappraising Power”), chapter 12 (“A Matter of Detail”); Cavalli: chapter 8 (“Results II”),
chapter 9 (“Discussion”), chapter 10 (“Quantitative Biography...”); Iran-Contra video.
4. In chapters 10 (“Reappraising Power”) and 12 (“A Matter of Detail”) of Presidential Power, Neustadt reviews and updates his
original book from the perspective of the 1970s and 1980s. Use these readings to answer the following:
a. (11 points) Briefly discuss at least three places where he suggests the “need for altered emphasis or reinterpretation”.
b. (11 points) In chapter 12, Neustadt says, “Were I rewriting my original argument, I certainly would lead off with the Iran-Contra
case.” Why? Briefly describe the Iran-Contra “case” and discuss how it fits into Neustadt’s overall thesis on presidential power.
c. (11 points) In our final WebCT discussion, Burt notes that “presidential power is [still] based in the Wilsonian perspective
that the president has more powers than just mentioned in the Constitution”. In addition, Cindy notes that “we tend to classify
presidents solely on their party affiliation, but…the similarities and differences between them go so much deeper than that”.
Select one of these posts and briefly explain why it either supports or challenges Neustadt’s “need for altered emphasis…”.
5. Here’s your chance: Write a multi-part question of your own and then proceed to answer it. You will be graded on both the
answer (22 points) and the question (11 points), so don’t make the question too easy (and certainly don’t make it so hard you
can’t answer it!). The question must be a multi-part one (with at least two parts). It must address 1) your research project, 2) at
least one Nelson chapter other than any used in your project, and 3) at least one Neustadt or Cavalli chapter other than any used
in your project, and the interconnection between the three. I will be looking for you to demonstrate what you have learned of the
presidency from this course, and how you have applied and/or can apply it to your research.
