POL 520A Lincoln and Political Leadership
This course will focus on Abraham Lincoln's development as an
individual and as a political leader. We will look at his brief stint in the
Blackhawk War, his days as a self-taught lawyer in Illinois, his service as
a legislator in Springfield, the influence of Henry Clay on his early
political development, and his term in Congress. We will then look at
Lincoln's campaigns for the U.S. Senate and Presidency. Detailed attention
will be given to Lincoln's tenure as President of the United States,
including his use of the Cabinet as a forum for advice and decision-making,
his extraordinary use of executive power during the Civil War, and his
detailed management of military and political affairs as President.