1. Quote of the Day
“All the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.” – Harry Truman

2. Enquiry Question: What determines ‘presidential success’?

3. Learning Objectives
To analyse the extent to which the president is dependent on factors outside his control to be considered a ‘success’

4. Writing a ‘Literature Review’
University Masterclass
Writing a ‘Literature Review’
What is a literature review?
A literature review is a select analysis of existing research which is relevant to your topic, showing how it relates to your investigation. It explains and justifies how your investigation may help answer some of the questions or gaps in this area of research.
Why write a literature review?
A literature review demonstrates to your reader that you are able to:
Understand and critically analyse the background research
Select and source the information that is necessary to develop a context for your research
How do I get started?
Start by identifying what you will need to know to inform your research:
What research has already been done on this topic?
What are the sub-areas of the topic you need to explore?
What other research (perhaps not directly on the topic) might be relevant to your investigation?
How do these sub-topics and other research overlap with your investigation?
Note down all your initial thoughts on the topic. You can use a spidergram or list to help you identify the areas you want to investigate further. It is important to do this before you start reading so that you don't waste time on unfocussed and irrelevant reading.

5. University Masterclass Starting your reading…
Essential Reading
What makes a great president? (Rove, 2003)
What is 'presidential greatness'? (CNN, 2012)
Is President Obama a good leader? (BBC, 2011)
12 Reasons why Obama is one the best presidents EVER (Huffington Post, 2013)
Stretch and Challenge Reading
Rating the Presidents: Washington to Clinton (Schlesinger, 1997)
The Qualities That Bear On Presidential Performance (Greenstein, 2004)
STEP ONE:
Read - the articles and make brief notes (take memorable quotes that will help you to summarise the key analysis/theories).
STEP TWO:
Plan – think about how you will organise these notes, and explain clearly existing analysis and theories
STEP THREE:
Write – this is not an essay, you can use sub-headings to structure your writing or use a layout that best suits you

6. What makes a successful president. Use Barack Obama as a case study
What makes a successful president? Use Barack Obama as a case study. (45 marks)
HANDOUTS –
Understanding and Evaluating Presidents
What makes a successful president?

7. Learning Objectives
To analyse the extent to which the president is dependent on factors outside his control to be considered a ‘success’

8. Thinking Points Recap Questions
'The American presidency is essentially a weak office.' How far do you agree with this view?
How much of a problem for presidents is 'divided government'?
To what extent do successful presidents have to meet the six criteria?
Did George W. Bush qualify as a 'good' president by these criteria? Give reasons for your answer.
Has Obama qualified as a ‘good’ president by these criteria? Give reasons for your answer.

9. Homework
Application Task: ‘Presidential careers can never live up to expectations.’ Discuss. (45) Flipped Learning Preparation Task: Revision in preparation for end of topic test Stretch & Challenge Task Job Specs for the Oval Office (Donovan, 2004) Hail to the Chief: The Making and Unmaking of American Presidents (Dallek, 1996)