History 389A:  Political Scandals Syllabus
Schedule of Readings and Assignments

Unit I: Understanding Political Leadership - What Makes a Good/Bad Leader?
Tu. 1/6	Course Introduction ◘ Scandal Sheet:  Contemporary Scandals in the News ◘ Class Presentations:  Political Scandals in American History ◘ Three Appraisals of Leadership
Th. 1/8	The Historical Approach to Understanding Leadership ~ James MacGregor Burns, from Leadership     ▪  Prologue, The Crisis of Leadership     ▪  Chapter 1:  The Power of Leadership     ▪  Chapter 9:  Heroes and Ideologues ~ Scandal Sheet:  Special Council Named to Head Inquiry on CIA Leak ~ Study Questions:  Burns, Prologue & CH1 ~ Study Questions:  Burns CH9 ► Quiz over reading
Tu. 1/13	The Psychological Approach to Understanding Leadership ~ Howard Gardner, Part I:  A Framework for Leadership, from Leading Minds     ▪  Introduction:  A Cognitive Approach to Leadership, 3-18     ▪  Human Development and Leadership     ▪  Lessons from the Past, Implications for the Future ~ Peter G. Northouse, "Introduction," from Leadership: Theory and Practice ~ Study Questions:  Gardner, Part I
Th. 1/15	Do Individuals Matter? Leadership Style and Presidential Politics ~ Fred I. Greenstein, from The Presidential Difference       ▪ Chapter 1, "The Presidential Difference"     ▪ Chapter 13, "Lessons from the Modern Presidency" ~ John P. Kotter, "What Leaders Really Do" ~ Study Questions: Greenstein, CH1 & CH13
Tu. 1/20	The Political Structures of Presidential Leadership ~ Stephen Skowronek, from The Politics Presidents Make     ▪ Chapter 1, "Rethinking Presidential History"     ▪ Chapter 2, "Power & Authority"     ▪ Chapter 3, "Structure and Action"  ~ Adel Safty, "Moral Leadership:  Beyond Management and Governance," Harvard International Review (fall 2003) ~ Study Questions: Skowronek, CH1-CH3
Th. 1/22	21st Century Political Leadership ► DUE:  Homework - answer either a or b, 2 pages, typed, double spaced     a) present an analysis of contemporary leader based on one on above theorists     b) How much difference does a president make as a political leader of the nation?  ◘ Scandal Sheet Journal collection & discussion

   

Unit II: The Personal and the Political in the Politics of Scandal
Tu. 1/27	Jefferson and Hemmings:  Race, Sex, and the Politics of Scandal ~ Gordon S. Wood, "The Ghosts of Monticello" ~ Jack Rakove, "Our Jefferson" ~ Adam Clymer, "G.O.P.'s 40 Years of Juggling on Race" ~ Adam Nagourney and Carl Hulse, Bush Rebukes Lott Over Remarks on Thurmond ~ Article on Strom Thurmond ~ Study Questions: Rakove, "Our Jefferson" ~ Study Questions: Wood, "Ghosts of Monticello"
Th. 1/29	Sex Scandals and the Modern Presidency I ◘ Spring Convocation ~ Add, the Scolds ◘ Video:  Jefferson - A View from the Mountaintop ►  Class Presentation:  Sex Scandals (Cleveland, Harding, FDR, JFK, Clinton (Monicagate)
Tu. 2/3	Sex Scandals and the Modern Presidency I Add The Scolds...? ►  Class Presentation:  Sex Scandals (Cleveland, Harding, FDR, JFK, Clinton (Monicagate) ◘ Scandal Sheet Journal collection & discussion

   

Unit III:  Political Corruption and The Influence of Money
Th. 2/5	Raucous Democracy or Rude Republic:  Political Formation in Mid 19th Century America ~ Mary P. Ryan, "Antebellum Politics as Raucous Democracy" ~ Glenn C. Altschuler & Stuart M. Blumin, "Antebellum Politics as Political Manipulation" ~ Tyler Anbinder, Chapter 1, "The Making of Five Points" (skip) ~ Study Questions: Ryan, "Antebellum Politics"   ~ Study Questions: Altschuler, "Antebellum Politics"
Tu. 2/10	Gangs of New York:  Tammany Hall and the Making of Boss Politics ~ Alexander B. Callow, Jr., "'Honest' Graft" from The Tweed Ring ~ Leo Hershkowitz, "Tweed's New York:  Another Look" from Tweed's New York ~ Tyler Anbinder, Chapter 5:  "Politics" ~ Boss Tweed Biography ~ Urban Political Machines in Late 19th Century ~ Study Questions:  Callow on Tweed ~ Study Questions:  Hershkowitz on Tweed For Next Time Possibly...? ~ Edwin G. Burrows & Mike Wallace, CH50, "The Battle for New York," CH57, "The New York Commune"
Th. 2/12	Honest Graft?  Assessing 19th Century Boss Politics ~ Terrence J. McDonald, "Introduction:  How George Washington Plunkett became Plunkett of Tammany Hall" ~ Cornwell, "Immigrants and Machine Politics" ~ Kenneth Stamp, "The Era of Reconstruction"
ADD:  Viewing of Gangs of New York?
Tu. 2/17	ADD:  Clinton and Whitewater Add The Scolds...? (Clinton II)
Th. 2/19	Money and Influence in Contemporary Politics ~ Stephen J. Wayne, "Has Money Corrupted Our Electoral Process?" ~ Miroff, Seidelman, & Swanstrom, Chapter 11, "Campaigns & Elections: Organized Money Versus (Dis) Organized People?"     ▪  Bradley A. Smith, "Free Speech Requires Campaign Money"     ▪  Dan Clawson, et al., "Dollars and Votes" ADD Opposing Viewpoints 1 & 2 ► Class Presentation:  Money & Politics ◘ Scandal Sheet Journal collection & discussion

   

Unit IV:  Johnson, Nixon, Clinton - The Impeachment Presidents
Tu. 2/24	Waging Peace:  The Making and Unmaking of Andrew Johnson ~ Wheeler and Becker, Chapter 1, "The Problems of Reconstruction:  Andrew Johnson, Congress, and Southern Suffrage" (Discovering the American Past 4th ed.) ~ Eric Foner, "The Odds Against the Success of Reconstruction were Great" MP ◘ Video:  CNN, The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Th. 2/26	Radical Reconstruction:  Partisan Politics or Political Scandal?  ~ Irving Brant, "The Johnson Impeachment Trial:  Attainder by Impeachment" ~ Harold M. Hyman, "How to Set the Law in Motion" ► DUE:  Short Debate Essay - Should Andrew Johnson have been impeached?
Tu. 3/2	Nixon Triumphant:  The Making of Richard Nixon ~ Stanley I. Kutler, CH II, "Making Many Nixons" ~ Dan T. Carter, "George Wallace, Richard Nixon, and the Triumph of the Right" (MP) ~ Study Questions:  Kutler, "Many Nixons" ~ Study Questions:  Carter, "Nixon & Triumph of Right"
Th. 3/4	Nixon II:  Many are the Crimes ~ Kutler, The Wars of Watergate:     ▪      ▪  ~ Brinkley, The Watergate Scandals ◘ Video:  PBS - Watergate:  Plus 30,  The Shadow of History   ~ Study Questions:  Brinkley, "Watergate Scandals"
ADD:  Viewing All the President's Men
Spring Break:  March 8 to March 12
Tu. 3/16	"I Am not A Crook":  Nixon and the Watergate Scandals ~ Kutler, The Wars of Watergate:     ▪      ▪  CH XXI, "The 'Burden I Shall Bear for Every Day" (on Pardon)
Th. 3/18	Our Long National Nightmare:  The Legacy of Watergate ~ Kutler, The Wars of Watergate:     ▪  CH XXII, "In the Shadow of Watergate"     ▪  CHXXIII, "Richard Nixon, Watergate, and History" ~ Keith W. Olson, CH9, "Ends and Means:  Watergate and the Cold War" Add (?): ~ Bob Woodward, ....? (From Watergate to Monicagate) ► DUE:  Homework - What do you see as the major legacy of the Nixon Watergate scandals?
Tu. 3/23	A Vast Rightwing Conspiracy...?  The Clinton Impeachment ~ Add The Scolds...? (Clinton III)
Th. 3/25	Partisan Politics or Political Scandal?  The Lessons of Impeachment ► DUE:  Homework - answer either a or b, 2 pages, typed, double spaced     a) who was the worst president of all time?     b) who was worse, Johnson, Nixon, or Clinton?   ► Class Presentation:  Presidential abuse of power ◘ Scandal Sheet Journal collection & discussion
ADD:  Viewing of Primary Colors

   

Unit V:  Political Scandals and The Quest for Political Power
Tu. 3/30	Iran Contra ~ Lawrence E. Walsh, from Firewall ~ Drugs and US Foreign Policy including Iran Contra ~ Iran Contra Overview ~ Iran-Contra Players     ▪ Edwin Meese Biography     ▪ Oliver North Biography     ▪ William Casey Biography
Th.  4/1	Iran Contra ~ Lawrence E. Walsh, from Firewall ► DUE:  Homework - how does Iran-Contra rank in light of scandals examined in this class? ► Class Presentation:  Power and Politics
Tu. 4/6	2000 Election Something on 1876 election (& 1888 election) ~ The Compromise of 1877 ~ John Milton Cooper, Jr., "'The Leaving It': The Election of 2000 at the Bar of History" ~ Alexander Keyssar, "The Right to Vote and Election 2000" ► Class Presentation:  1876 election
Th. 4/8	2000 Election ~ Larry D. Kramer, "The Supreme Court in Politics" ► Class Presentation:  The Bush Administration
Tu. 4/13	Scandal Sheet:  Discussion of Contemporary Scandals ~ Wrap-up any unfinished business (including class presentations) ◘ Awards Convocation
Th. 4/15	Class Party:  Last Day of Class ► DUE:  Final Scandal Sheet Journal collection
T. 4/20	Reading Day
April 21-27 Exam Period
May 1	Graduation

Primary Colors
All the Presidents Men
King Fish
Gangs of New York
Three Days of the Condor
Nixon