1. Why do we try to assess presidential personality? Why and how may psychological factors affect presidential performance? What difficulties do we encounter in trying to assess presidential personality?
2. Why and how has the presidential staff system changed over the years? How has it affected the presidency? How do presidents try to control the bureaucracy and why is that often difficult? How helpful is the cabinet to presidents?
3. How do presidents try to influence Congress? How have those efforts changed over the years? Why are presidential-congressional relations sometimes harmonious and sometimes combative?
4. Assess the relationship between presidents and the legal system. How has the legal system supported and/or restrained the use of presidential power? How do presidents try to influence the legal system and avoid its limitations? How successful are they?
Answer all of the questions in each set of questions above (1-4). Every set of questions must be responded to in a 1-2 page paper (single spaced). Therefore, at the very least, there shall be 4 single-spaced pages of responses answering all of the questions in each set.