CHAPTER EIGHT
The Presidency

Explore

The official web site of the White House provides key information on the executive branch generally, as well as the Executive Office of the President, the White House Office, the vice president's office, and the first lady. You will also find recent press releases, photos, and links to video and audio of the president and his spokespersons.

Politicalcartoons.com provides recent political cartoons from around the country and around the world. Use the skills you learned from this chapter's "Consider the Source" feature to evaluate recent political messages.

To track presidential approval currently and over time from numerous different polling sources, use Pollingreport.com. The web site provides results on the president's job approval as well as personal approval over time. Poll results on other key issues are also available.

An important resource for understanding the presidency as well as past presidents is the National Archives Presidential Libraries web site. The site provides a link to each of these libraries, which often have useful information for students writing papers as well as other programs and exhibits.

The Center for the Study of the Presidency (CSP) provides an important source for students and scholars of the presidency. Beyond providing issue papers and roundtables, the CSP publishes one of the important scholarly journals dealing with presidency, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and offers a large fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students interested in studying the presidency.

The American President documentary series on PBS has numerous episodes dealing with different areas of the presidency. The American President companion web site provides a brief overview of each episode but also provides links to information on the presidents highlighted in each episode as well as video clips from the series.

What were past presidents like? C-SPAN's Welcome to American Presidents: Life Portraits web page provides links to information such as presidential gravesites, videos about some of the presidents, and portraits of the presidents. Who's buried in Grant's tomb, you ask?

Which one is "Old Hickory" and which one is the "Sage of Monticello?" This web site on the Urban Legends and Folklore surrounding the presidency provides a test on nicknames, and it claims to debunk many myths concerning particular presidents. Believe at your own risk.

How does the president get around and what does he eat? The White House Military Office provides information on Air Force One, Marine One, Camp David, and other aspects of the president's life concerning travel and food. The Detroit News Joyrides web story provides pictures of past presidential limousines.

KEEPING THE REPUBLIC

The president answers to the people of the United States; citizens can and should take advantage of this relationship.

• Contact the president. Write a letter on a policy issue of importance to you. Call the White House Comment Line at (202) 456-1111 to leave a voice message to the president about your issue.
• Learn about the office from the inside. The memoirs and biographies of former presidents, first ladies, and White House staffers provide in-depth accounts of what it is like to work in the executive branch.
• Road trip. On the information superhighway, visit the White House at www.whitehouse.gov/ (at the time of printing, only student groups grades 1-12 can tour the actual White House) or take a real highway to a presidential library (Find them at http://www.archives.gov./ You can read primary documents such as speeches, memos, and transcripts from news conferences.
• Work for a presidential candidate. Volunteer, apply for an internship, put up a yard sign, and attend rallies and events to support the presidential candidate of your choice.