For my 2302 16 week classes: while you're on your break I'm putting together the lecture for when we get back. It'll touch on the "personal" nature of the presidency, and to the degree I can the Texas governor and local mayors etc..., as well as recent issues involving executive power and the activities of recent executive agencies.
Here are a few links to stories focused on presidential character, specifically James David Barber's work where he attempts to determine the basic character traits of the different people who have served as president. Given the degree to which the executive branch's power are granted to an individual, clearly the disposition of these individuals matters. The office, as we know, can ill afford to be held by someone inclined to use its powers for personal gain.
A few items for your perusal:
- Barber: The Presidential Character.
- One man's typology.
- Kinder: Presidential Character Revisited.
- A random lecture outline.
- Lecture slides on Barber.
