The American Presidency This course examines the development and modern practice of presidential leadership. Focus is on presidential decision-making, changes in the structure of the presidency as an institution, differences among individual presidents, and the interaction of the president with other major actors, including national governing institutions (executive branch, Congress, courts), interest groups, media, and the public. The course includes an historical overview of the evolution of the presidency, and examines changes in the electoral process.

U. S. National Elections In this course we will analyze national elections in the United States. Topics covered will include party systems, electoral realignment, voting behavior and turnout, candidate strategy, the nomination process, the legal framework for elections, the Electoral College, gender, race and ethnicity, the media, the Internet, and U.S. elections in comparative perspective. Although the focus will be on the upcoming congressional and presidential contests, earlier elections will be studied for insight into continuity and change in American electoral politics.

Introduction to American Politics This course introduces the institutions and practices of American government and politics. The aim is to give students a firm understanding of the workings of and the balance of power among the American Congress, President, bureaucracy, and court system. We begin with the Constitution, which provides the set of founding principles upon which the American government is based. We then look at how American citizens make decisions about politics. Finally, we examine how political institutions, interest groups, parties, elections, and legislative bodies and rules aggregate diverse, often conflicting preferences and how they resolve or exacerbate problems.

Frontiers in Political Science Research Nothing is more controversial among political scientists than the topic of how to study politics. In this course, we consider a variety of advanced techniques for studying political phenomena, including statistical methods, game theory, institutional analysis, case study techniques, experiments, and agent-based modeling. We will work with concrete examples (drawn from major political science journals) of how scholars have used these techniques, and consider the ongoing philosophical controversies associated with each approach. Students will have the opportunity to conduct original research using a method and subject of their choosing.

Matthew Dickinson

I love this course! There's a fair bit of reading, but it's honestly not bad for a poli-sci course, and everything is interesting (provided you're interested in the American presidency). Dickinson is a fantastic lecturer; he clearly cares about the material and is extremely knowledgeable, and his teaching style is engaging. No discussion section, but plenty of opportunities to discuss during lecture. There was only one paper, and some flexibility over when to write it. Exams are challenging but not unreasonable. I would definitely recommend it.

Less reading than his American Politics course, with a focus on chapters from various books. This is my second class with Professor Dickinson, and again he is next to none. Extremely passionate, and you'll learn a great deal from this class. If you take detailed notes during lectures, do the readings (and complete discussion questions) you'll do pretty well in the class.

I really like Professor Dickinson. I find his lecture style and the course material to be very worthwhile. The readings are sometimes lengthy, but interesting. The class is a mix of exams (fairly difficult) and papers. 