This class has been very interesting for me. I have spent most of the semester quiet in class. I am an introvert and process everything very internally. I very much enjoyed listening to what everyone had to say even though I rarely had a comment to contribute myself. But now I want to take some time and space to gather my thoughts and conclude this semester with a better idea of the presidency.
I am a history buff at heart. I love to know the facts and specifics about the great moments in our lives. This class has allowed me to create a whole new perspective on the presidency – one that is not necessarily dominated by the great things that a president accomplishes. I have learned that it is often the little things, the small decisions that have great consequences, that are the most important to know. I realize now that the president changes the office through every single thing that he does, from sweeping domestic policy to the tradition of choosing a White House dog. Everything matters. Not just things like Watergate or 9/11. Those are the things that drive a presidency, but not what always defines a presidency.
Like Iris and Mark said tonight, after taking this class I have become apathetic to the whole thing. Not that I’m not still interested, but I need a break. I too have realized that there is not really all that much I can do to influence or change the country in terms of the president. Sure I can vote, but really my personal vote does not matter. It is all about the Electoral College. I want to be able to tell my students that what they do matters, that being active in politics can make a difference in the big scheme of things and at this point I can’t say that. I need to take a step back again and perhaps regress to a point where the students I teach won’t be discouraged by their governmental system.
Everything is caused by something else. Every president has been influenced by the ones that came before. I don’t think that you can choose one president and say, “I am going to study this man and learn what it means to be president.” To be a true scholar and to really understand the executive you have to study them one by one, picking apart their policies and finding the “why” behind it all. This class has allowed me to begin that process and I am excited to continue…after I take a break.
