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Student Research Q&A Tim, a political science major, is fascinated by the world of human behavior. Here's how he focused his research on the U.S. presidency. Why did you decide to major in the social sciences field? I have always found that human behavior is an interesting field to explore. Philosophers have examined human behavior and noted what is good or bad about individuals, society, governments and religion, just to name a few. Leaders throughout the world have applied these principles, and it has affected the way society functions. As a political science major, I find the office of the president of the United States to be particularly interesting, so that's where I focused my research. What are your career goals? I plan to go to graduate school and receive a master's and a doctorate in political science. The lessons and techniques that I am learning in the social sciences program are the skills that I will need in order to pursue these goals. What are the benefits of studying the social sciences at Elon? Being a scholar later in life is exactly like being a scholar here at Elon. I am going to be doing research for the rest of my life, and this program offers me a good foundation of research skills and hands-on experience. What is your original research project? The office of the president of the United States is perhaps the most scrutinized position in the world, and it has been an ever-changing position throughout the history of our nation. This begs the question, what makes a great president, and how can we compare the accomplishments of say George Washington to those of Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Both are looked upon favorably by history, yet what they did while in office is totally different. Several different theories have been proposed, and one of the most interesting is one offered by Stephen Skowronek. He states that presidents are caught in what's known as "political time," or in other words, a president's chance at success is directly related to his direct predecessor. Clearly those who come in on the heels of an unpopular administration, offering a new vision or a change in direction, have the best chance of being successful. This model is very applicable to the pre-modern president (those who came before Franklin Roosevelt); however, it seems to be shaky in the modern presidency era. By looking at the presidencies of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bill Clinton, I will attempt to disprove his theory. Both came into office offering different policies on the heels of a popular administration (more so Eisenhower than Clinton), yet both achieved success considering that both served two full terms in office. |
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