Consequential and Controversial Presidential Decisions

From George Washington’s refusal to seek a third term to Joe Biden’s support of Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, we study and discuss US presidents’ decisions that profoundly affected the course of our nation’s history and, in some cases, caused vigorous controversy within the country. The course will deal with domestic issues (e.g., Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation; Eisenhower’s decision to send federal troops to Little Rock) and international decisions (e.g., Jefferson’s negotiation of the Louisiana Purchase with Napoleon; Truman’s ordering atomic bombs to be dropped on Japan; George W. Bush‘s invasion of Iraq). We will analyze different presidents’ significant choices and their effects on our history.

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