POLS 049. The American Presidency (AP)

The President occupies a unique position in the U.S. constitutional system. The most visible figure in American politics, the President has tremendous influence in foreign and domestic affairs, party strategy, and electoral politics. In this class, we will closely examine the role of the U.S. president. How have presidential powers developed over time? To what extent is the President constrained by other governing institutions? How does the President interact with the American public? Throughout the course we will also examine how political scientists have studied the presidency and the tradeoffs presented by different methodological approaches.
Social sciences.
1 credit.
Fall 2025. Snead.
Catalog chapter: Political Science
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/political-science

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