POL 291 - Special Topics in American Government

Planned Offering: Fall 2016.
Credits: 1

A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Fall 2016: POL 291-01: Special Topics in American Government: Washington and the Arts of Leadership (1). This course examines how George Washington used architecture, portraiture, clothing, and furnishings to fashion his image as a leader. Through a hands-on study of objects, such as Charles Wilson Peale’s portrait of Washington in his French and Indian War uniform, the architecture of Mount Vernon, and his Chinese export porcelain dinner service with the insignia of the Society of the Cincinnati, students learn how he used objects to create an image of power and authority in a democratic society. Readings explore the public and private life of George Washington to learn how his character, principles, and politics, linked with the art of visual display, shaped the American republic. Course includes a $100 student fee to cover a 2-day trip to Washington D.C. and Mt. Vernon during Fall Reading Days. Fuchs, Morel.