Great Courses – Investigating American Presidents

The Pound Ridge Library is pleased to announce the continuation of a series of lectures which mark the eleventh year of courses which are part of the library’s continuing presentation of a new educational concept in life-long learning: a series of DVD seminars from The Teaching Company/The Great Courses encompassing a wide variety of subjects, given by outstanding scholars from major colleges and universities throughout the United States. This program, the first of its kind in the country, is designed to provide collegial, small group-setting for courses “you didn’t get to take at college, but wanted to.” The seminars, developed and moderated by Lawrence Brotmann of Pound Ridge, NY are held at the library on Thursdays at 12:30 pm and consist of four 30-minute (closed-captioned) lectures per session, most from 3 to 6 weeks per course.

Registration guarantees a spot in the program. Registration does not guarantee a parking spot. The library encourages carpooling as much as possible.

Course Overview
The president of the United States of America can shape not just a nation but the entire world. But what limits are there—if any—on presidential power? How do we keep such awesome authority in check? And who do we trust to shoulder this responsibility?

In the centuries since the founding of the republic, there have been notable challenges to presidential authority. Among these are investigations, designed to seek out and uproot abuses of executive power. They are built on a system of institutions, laws, and policies that govern how our nation protects itself from corruption and tyranny. Even today, we see this system at work in controversies and scandals that appear in the media almost daily.

The potential corruption of presidential power isn’t a new feature of American democracy—and it’s likely not going away anytime soon. How should citizens—not only of the U.S. but of the world—think about and understand investigations into such abuses?

According to law professor Paul Rosenzweig of The George Washington University School of Law, understanding investigations into presidential authority requires grasping the legal framework that surrounds what the president can and cannot do. By exploring how a presidency can be interrogated and challenged, you’ll better understand the effectiveness—and, in some cases, ineffectiveness—of such checks on executive power.

In the 12 eye-opening, timely lectures of Investigating American Presidents, Professor Rosenzweig guides you through the ins and outs of presidential investigations, using past events as a lens through which to make sense of current (and future) ones. You’ll witness the construction of the legal framework that informs how Congress and the courts handle charges of abuse of power. You’ll also dive into the investigations of presidents including Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton as a way to learn what powers exist to ensure that presidents adhere to the rule of law—and how they apply in our current political moment.