PPOG 624 Presidential Leadership

Presidential Leadership is a course studying the role, powers, dynamics, and impact of the American presidency. The course will analyze the effects of the worldview, philosophies, and personal experience of the President as well as methods, strategies, and tactics that Presidents employ in shaping public policy, structuring the court, and communicating with and persuading the American people.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.


An in-depth understanding of the nuanced influence that takes place through and within each of the three branches of the United States federal government is essential to the study of public policy. This course introduces the graduate student to the methods, influences, roles, and impacts of leadership in and through the nation’s highest elected office.


Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in 4 Discussions by posting a thread of at least 400 words in response to the prompt, with a minimum of 2 citations from the course materials. The student will then respond to 2 classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words with at least 1 citation from the course materials. The prompts for the discussions will expand upon the student’s assigned readings. Each discussion is designed to enhance the student’s learning experience as he/she writes about his/her ideas, perspectives, and experiences and receive feedback from classmates. All citations must be formatted according to current APA style.

Essay 1: Draft Submission Assignment

The Essay 1: Final Submission Assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. This assignment will allow the student to submit a draft of the Essay 1 Assignment and make any necessary edits prior to submitting the final assignment. This assignment will be 5-7 pages.

Essay 1: Final Submission Assignment

The student will write a 5–7-page essay in current APA format, answering a specific prompt from the professor. The review must include the following sections: Introduction, supporting paragraphs, personal reflection, and conclusion. A title page and reference list are required, but do not count toward the required total number of pages.

Essay 2: Draft Submission Assignment

The Essay 2: Final Submission Assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. This assignment will allow the student to submit a draft of the Essay 2 Assignment and make any necessary edits prior to submitting the final assignment. This assignment will be 5-7 pages in length.

Essay 2: Final Draft Assignment

The student will write a 5–7-page essay in current APA format, answering a specific prompt from the professor. The review must include the following sections: Introduction, supporting paragraphs, personal reflection, and conclusion. A title page and reference list are required, but do not count toward the required total number of pages.

Research Paper: Domestic/Budget Policy: Draft Submission Assignment

The Research Paper: Domestic/Budget Policy: Final Submission Assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. This assignment will allow the student to submit a draft of the final submission and make any necessary edits prior to submitting the final assignment. This assignment will be 5-7 pages in length.

Research Paper: Domestic/Budget Policy: Final Submission Assignment

The student will write a 5–7-page Research Paper Assignment evaluating presidential decision-making and leadership. The paper will evaluate presidential leadership for a domestic or budget/economic policy. The paper must be formatted in current APA style and cite at least 5 additional sources. A title page and reference list are required but do not count toward the required total number of pages.

Research Paper: Foreign/Defense Policy: Draft Submission Assignment

The Research Paper: Foreign/Defense Policy: Final Submission Assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. This assignment will allow the student to submit a draft of the final submission and make any necessary edits prior to submitting the final assignment. This assignment will be 5-7 pages in length.

Research Paper: Foreign/Defense Policy: Final Submission Assignment

The student will write a 5–7-page Research Paper Assignment evaluating presidential decision-making and leadership. The paper will evaluate presidential leadership for a foreign/defense policy. The paper must be formatted in current APA style and cite at least 5 additional sources. A title page and reference list are required, but do not count toward the required total number of pages.


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