POL 407 U.S. Political Leadership to 1912
This course will make extensive use of biographical, historical, and political perspectives on leadership in American government with special attention to the founding era and development of nation from 1789 to 1840 and to Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, John Quincy Adams, and Henry Clay are the primary subjects examined in this course. Using a broad historical sweep, we will assess these prominent American political leaders in the context of personality, constitutional philosophy, leadership skill, and institutional setting.