About this Blog

During the semester, I shall post course material and students will comment on it. Students are also free to comment on any aspect of the presidency, either current or historical. There are only two major limitations: no coarse language, and no derogatory comments about people at the Claremont Colleges.

The course syllabus is at
http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/pages/faculty/JPitney/gov102-14.html

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Monday, October 8, 2007

Presidential Advisers

I heard Professor Pitney talking to the New York Times on the phone about this issue and found the article this weekend. It seems like the advisory role has shifted throughout time. Lincoln embraced the debate that surrounded him and welcomed dissenting opinions. In these past 7 years, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney seemed to have run the show, how many dissenting opinions does the President listen to today?

When we elect our next president are we voting for the candidate or for his/her staff and advisers? There is a lot of talk about Hillary Clinton's team, there was a great article in the Washington Post this summer about "Hillaryland." After the Bush and Clinton presidencies, and the impact of their closest advisers, it seems like there is more to consider in an election than is clear to the American public.

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