POLS 041. The Presidential Election, Then and Now

How we elect our presidents has changed over time- but at all times political parties, interest groups, social movements, and the voters themselves have been the central protagonists. They have operated in macroeconomic and foreign policy contexts that make the outcomes of presidential elections both relatively predictable and yet quite exciting. We track the continuities and the key changes in presidential electoral politics since the rise of the Electoral College in the 1820s. We ask such questions as: are there game changers? What's the invisible primary? Can billionaires buy the presidency? Do presidents change the policy direction of the country? How representative is the electorate? Do campaigns make a difference? What do activists do in presidential elections? Do personal characteristics of the candidates make a difference? Is the Electoral College a problem for democracy?
Political sciences.
1 credit.
Catalog chapter: Political Science
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/political-science

Access the class schedule to search for sections.

Close Window