The Power of the Presidency Module 8
Every president since 1945 has faced new circumstances and made decisions that have (often) helped to increase the power of the presidency. Choose a president we have covered in this class, serving after 1945, and consider his response to a major crisis or issue during his tenure in office. (The topic should be one you have not written about in a previous Critical Thinking Assignment).
Once you have selected a topic, research the range of response options available to the president, either emanating from advisors, public pressure, party politics, or the president’s own inclinations, etc. Find at least two (2) primary sources that are closely related to the crisis or the president’s response. Once you’ve chosen a topic, do some research on the different ways the president could respond. These could come from advisors, public pressure, party politics, the president’s own preferences, etc. Find at least two (2) primary sources that have a lot to do with the crisis or the president’s response.
As you write up your paper, discuss the options or paths and consider why the president ultimately chose the response they did. How would you evaluate this president’s decision-making strategies and his overall handling of the crisis? Were there any implications or results, expected or unexpected, that the president had to manage? How was society impacted or changed by the decision?
The paper is due at the end of Week 8 and must adhere to the following requirements:
Develop a clear thesis statement, or claim, about the nature of change, America’s reaction to change, etc. Be creative.
Double space your paper and use 12-point Times New Roman.
Include six to eight pages (not including the required cover and reference pages; approximately 3,000-3,500 words).
Include headings, per Help write my thesis – APA7 guidelines.
Include and incorporate TWO appropriate secondary sources (beyond encyclopedias and biographies, etc.) at least one of which should be a peer- reviewed journal article. Be sure to use these sources as key pieces of evidence and quote them in your paper.
Include at least TWO significant primary sources (a source created at the time of the event) to be used as evidence in your paper.
Include a final reference page with primary and secondary sources used.
