The American Presidency: Fact vs. Fiction

American presidents are among the most glamourized and villainized, mythologized and fictionalized government figures in the world. Yet the realities of the job--constitutionally, institutionally, and politically--a far cry from how they are often presented in popular lore and mass entertainment. This course will focus at the intersection of history, political science, and cultural studies. In interactive sessions, students will compare and contrast how movies, television, novels, and art have depicted the commander-in-chief in light of the actual historical record and the contemporary functioning of America's most powerful yet widely misunderstood political office. From The West Wing to the John Adams miniseries, from the heroic painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" to the vile machinations of House of Cards , this course will sort fact from fiction and shed new light on America's Chief Executive.

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