Common Course Outline

Course discipline/number/title HIST 1789: History of the American Presidency

Catalog Description

Credits 3
Hours/Week 3
Prerequisites (Course discipline/number) None
Other requirements None
MnTC Goals (if any) Goal 5/History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Goal 9/Ethical and Civic Responsibility

Course Description

This course will trace the development of the American Presidency including Constitutional and implied powers. It will take a historical approach to the development of the office by focusing on critical presidents, events, crises, decisions, and legacy. The power of the presidency has grown, especially in the 20th century, and therefore the course will devote a considerable amount of attention on that era.

Date Last Revised (Month, year)

December, 2022

Outline of Major Content Areas

  1. The Presidency as established by the Constitution
  2. Constitutional Powers
  3. Electoral College
  4. Founding Presidents: George Washington-Andrew Jackson
  5. The Ante-Bellum Presidents: Martin Van Buren-James Buchanan
  6. The Civil War, Gilded Age, and Early 20th Century: Abraham Lincoln-Herbert Hoover
  7. The Imperial Presidency: FDR-Present

Learning Outcomes (General)

The student will be able to:

  1. Assess the significance of political developments within United States history.
  2. Explain how the power of the presidency has expanded over time.
  3. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of American Presidents and express what criteria that assessment should be based upon.

Learning Outcomes (MnTC)

Goal 5/History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences

The student will be able to:

  1. Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition.
  2. Examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods and cultures.
  3. Develop and communicate alternative explanations or solutions for contemporary social issues.
Goal 9/Ethical and Civic Responsibility

The student will be able to:

  1. Understand and apply core concepts (e.g. politics, rights and obligations, justice, liberty) to specific issues.
  2. Recognize the diversity of political motivations and interests of others.
  3. Identify ways to exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Methods for Evaluation of Student Learning

Methods may include but are not limited to:

RCTC Core Outcome(s)

This course contributes to meeting the following RCTC Core Outcome(s):

Critical Thinking
Students will think systematically and explore information thoroughly before accepting or formulating a position or conclusion.

Special Information (if any)

None