From the textbook James A. Marone “By the people” Are you able to write an essay following the first 3 points? 1.In recent years Congressional productivity in terms of passing laws has declined. What are possible causes? What might be some potential solutions? 2. How can we evaluate the performance of presidents? Historians and political scientists have tried to rank presidents. Stephen Skowronek has argued that whether a president has the chance to be a “great president” depends on the broader context in which a president comes to power. Your textbook also mentions presidential approval ratings. Discuss these different ways of assessing presidential performance and pick two presidents, one whom you consider a failure and one a successful one. Why do you consider one a failure and the other one a successful President? 3.In the conclusion of the chapter on the presidency the authors of your textbook state that “[t]he presidency is a far more powerful office than it was a century ago. Has it grown too powerful for a republic? Or is it too hobbled to carry out the mandate of the public?” In other words, is the president too powerful or too weak? How would you answer this question?
