PSCI 225 American Political System
Paper Assignment #2
Due Friday, 12 October, 2007
This is your second paper for class. One of the recurring themes of the class has been (and will
continue to be) the important and paradoxical idea of democratic leadership. In the era of the
Progressive presidents (Roose velt, Taft and Wilson), democratic leadership came to be seen as
embodying a certain attitude toward the presidency. Milkis and Nelson describe the subsequent
era as “a return to normalcy”.
This is another chance to demonstrate you have attained both a knowledge outcome of the course
(understanding democratic leadership) as well as a skil l outcome (that you can analyze historical
presidencies in light of this concept). Your paper should seek to address the following two
points:
1. Describe three key elements of democratic l eadership as understood by the Progressive
presidents (Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson) and give an example for each element.
2. Describe three key elements of democratic l eadership as understood during the “return
to normalcy” and the presidents of that era. Give an example for each element here.
3. In conclusion, are both eras using the same idea of democratic leadership or are they
using fundamentally different ideas of democratic leadership? This question could be
successfully argued on both sides.
Your paper will require you rely heavily on the readings in Milkis and Nelson. A superior paper
will also reference The Warrior and the Priest. Please make sure to provide vivid and
enlightening examples of the deeper theoretical elements you list from the questions above.
Other requirements for your paper:
1. It should be no longer than three pages.
2. It must be in Microsoft Word format and emailed to me.
3. As stated in the syllabus, papers will be graded based o n the short paper rubric for our
class. Use this rubric (it can be downloaded from the webpage) throughout your writing.
4. It should contain sufficient direct and indirect quotations from readings and should
properly cite these readings using Chicago Manual style (footnotes).
5. It must be emailed to me before class on Friday. If email is not working due to a
technical problem, bring a hard copy of your paper to class. As stated i n the syllabus,
papers must be turned in on time. Absolutely no late papers will be accepted.
6. Organize your thoughts and analysis in a way that promotes (rather than distracts from)
your argument. In other words, make strong points wit h strong evidence. Don’t waste
your time with s mall and ultimately trivial observations.
7. Be sure to thoroughly proofread your papers for small mistakes and typos.
8. Make sure to “stay on message”. Stick close to your thesis statement and the
organization you construct. Don’t waste words or space.
9. Give yourself sufficient time and “mental space” to write a successful paper.
10. Consult with me about any questions you may have.
11. Please include a signed honor code statement with your paper.
