The Presidency:  PLSI 3220

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID:  PLSI 3220
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being u0lized in a poli1cal science course for undergraduate students by Dr. Michael Ault at California State University, Bakersfield. The open resources used in this class provide an introduc1on to The Presidency of the United States. The main mo0va0on to adopt an open textbook was lowering the cost to $0 for students in this required major course. Students access the open resources from my Canvas course.

Course Title and Number - PLSI 3220: The Presidency 
Brief Description of course highlights:  An examination of the constitutional design and practical operation of the American presidency. The course, includes investigations into the nature of executive leadership, the constitutional and administrative powers of the president, legislative-executive relations, the impact of public opinion, and the role of personality as expressed in presidential character. Carries credit in Power and Justice Emphasis. Requisite(s): Prerequisite: sophomore standing or higher. https://catalog.csub.edu/course-descriptions/plsi/

Student population:  The course carries credit in our Power and Jus0ce emphasis as well as our American Poli0cs emphasis. Students from other disciplines (especially history) take the course as well.  Using AI, I was able to summarize the demographics and backgrounds of the students in the course based on their Welcome and Introduc0on assignment the first week:   “The class is composed of a diverse group of students, many of whom are local to the Bakersfield area, having graduated from high schools like Arvin High, Bakersfield High, and Mira Monte High. However, there are also some students from outside the local area, such as one student from Delano and another originally from Los Angeles. The majority of the students are juniors and seniors, with a few second-year students as well. Based on the course discussion, many students expressed interest in learning more about the powers and role of the presidency, as well as how the office has evolved over 0me. The students come from diverse backgrounds across California and have a range of academic interests, including law, education, government, and public service.” ChatGPT Summary generated April 9, 2026.

Learning or student outcomes:  By the end of the course, you should be able to:
1. Explain the constitutional purpose of the executive branch and the office of the presidency, including why the presidency was designed to be institutionally constrained.
2. Analyze the constitutional powers, duties, and limits of the presidency, with attention to how restraint, delegation, and accountability are built into the system.
3. Apply major theoretical perspectives on the presidency to evaluate presidential leadership, institutional behavior, and changes in the scope of executive power over time.
4. Assess the internal dynamics of the executive branch, including the role of White House staff, advisors, and administrative institutions in shaping policy and governance.
5. Analyze the relationship between the presidency and Congress, particularly how presidents attempt to influence legislation, public policy, and public opinion within constitutional constraints.
6.  Evaluate the presidential electoral process, including the role of campaigns, public appeal, and democratic pressures in shaping expectations of presidential leadership.

Syllabus and Sample assignment from the course  Syllabus for PLSI 3220-01_ The Presidency.pdfCourse Schedule_ PLSI 3220-01_ The Presidency.pdf, Course Requirements and Grading_ PLSI 3220-01_ The Presidency.pdf, and In-Class Assignment #1 - Preparation for the Midterm Exam.pdf and In-class Assignment #2_ Preparation for the Midterm Exam.pdf. 

OER/Low cost Title: The Presidency readings

Brief Description:  The readings in this class trace the presidency as part of a larger story about American constitutionalism, democracy, and political change. We begin with the Founding and the constitutional design of the executive, where the presidency is presented as one institution within a broader system of separated powers, filtered public opinion, and limited government. From there, the course moves through the expansion of democracy and the rise of modern mass politics, showing how changes in participation and public expectation gradually pushed the president into a more central and visible leadership role.

As the class develops, the readings focus more directly on the transformation of presidential leadership itself. Jeffrey Tulis helps us see the rise of the rhetorical presidency, while Stephen Skowronek shows how presidents operate within larger political orders that shape their opportunities and constraints. Later readings on Woodrow Wilson, administration, and the unitary presidency explore how modern government encouraged a stronger, more centralized executive. Taken together, the course readings ask students to consider whether the modern presidency represents a necessary adaptation to contemporary politics, a departure from the constitutional design, or an unstable combination of both.

Authors:  Jeffrey Tulis, Stephen Skrownek, Richard Neustadt, Martha Kumar, Mary Stucky, Samuel Kernell, James Caesar, and more.

Student access:  Students access the open resource material from my Canvas course. Each module has a set of open source (or academic journal) readings and I supplement them with videos and other course material.

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook. The material is free and OpenSource. The Presidency in the Political System (textbook/Sage), costs $63.65 for ebook and $169.00 for paperback.

License*:
CC BY 4.0: 92.8% (128 pages)
Undeclared: 7.2% (10 pages)

OER/Low-Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Lowcost option. I wanted to save students money on their textbooks, as well as cultivate my own resources for the course.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? I consulted with our Associa0on’s sources of OER resources and conducted my own web searches.

Sharing Best Prac1ces: The sustainability of open education relies on sharing with others. Please give suggestions for faculty who are just getting started with OER or Low-Cost options. List anything you wish that you had known earlier. These resources are an excellent way to introduce students to material as well as providing them with a free resource that does not create burdens or barriers for lower-income students.

Describe any challenges you experienced, and lessons learned.  The experience has largely been posi0ve both for me, the instructor, as well as the students. I am using them for the third 0me, and I will be surveying the students on the course materials at the end of this semester. In the past, students have responded posi0vely to zero cost.

Instructor Name - Dr. Michael Ault 
I am a political science professor at California State University, Bakersfield. 

Please provide a link to your university page.
https://www.csub.edu/~mault/CSUB/__Home__.html

Please describe the courses/course numbers that you teach.
PLSI 1018: American Government and Politics
PLSI 3010: Sophomore/Junior Research Methods Experience (Research Methods I)
PLSI 328: Media, Propaganda, and Public Opinion
PHIL/PLSI 3030: Political Philosophy/Thought
PLSI 3150: American Political Philosophy PLSI 380: Research Methods II (older catalog)
PLSI 481: Directed Research (Research Methods III older catalog) PLSI 3770: Special Topics
PLSI 317: The Presidency

Older Catalog
PLSI 320: Social Movements and Political Power PLSI 477: Voices of Dissent
PLSI 477: The Politics of Novel and Film
PLSI 477: CSUB Travel and Study: Vietnam and Cambodia

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  I am the author or co-author of articles appearing in American Politics Research, The British Journal of Political Science, International Area Studies Review, and Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice. I was also an invited co-editor for a special edition of Peace Review dedicated to “Subcultures and Political Resistance.” I have contributed chapters to Food Policy in International Context; Reason, Reflection and Analysis: An Introduction to Political Science; and The Eye of the Storm.

I have worked as a Principal Author, Co-Principal Investigator, and Research Analyst (and twice as a Composer/Director/artist/DJ under the pseudonym The Phim Project) for community-based organizing, fundraising, and applied research projects in Massachusetts, Kenya, and California. I have also been the lead on Travel and Study Abroad Program to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand where I led 17 students on a two week travel and study program.

I serve on the International Board of Directors for Touching Lives International, an extended grass-roots, non-profit project located in Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kimilili, Kenya, addressing AIDS, orphans, breast cancer awareness, and education issues. Under my supervision, several former CSUB students have held graduate-level internships in Kenya with Amina Ridhwani, the Founder and Chairwoman of Touching Lives International.

In addition to my graduate work, I have also studied at the European Consortium for Political Research in Social Science in Essex, England, and the Ashtanga Research Institute in Mysore, India. I received a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas, a Master’s degree from the University of Dallas (political philosophy), and two B.A. degrees from CSU, San Bernardino (economics and political science).