History of Presidential Elections
Hybrid – Monday 1:10 pm – 2:50 pm
Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4
In this course we learn about the Presidential elections that most affected American history. For each election, we look at the events leading up to the election, the candidates running for president and why that election was so important. We have a little fun speculating about what if the losing candidate had won, and how American history might have changed. We end with a look at this year’s election and discuss present day trends. Your thoughts and questions will always be welcomed.
Week 1: Overview: What voters look for in a President and how a President is elected
1796/1800 – Adams/Jefferson – Precedents for peaceful transitions
Week 2: 1824/1828 – Andrew Jackson – Rise of the first populist President
1860/1864 – Lincoln – Disunion and Re-union
Week 3: 1912/1916 – Wilson and WWI – Positioning America to be a world power
1932 – FDR – Federal govt as public protector
Week 4: 1948 – Truman’s surprise win
1960 – Kennedy – Path to the Great Society and Vietnam
Week 5: 1968 – Nixon – 1960’s division and Watergate
1980 – Reagan – Re-establishing conservative government
Week 6: 2008/16 – Obama/Trump – Cultural tolerance and grievance
2020/24 – Biden/TBD – Rise of the ‘evil other’ and the future of Democracy
Jordan Kolovson earned an MA in Political Science and an MBA in International Business from the University of Connecticut. Now retired, he worked as a Senior Research Manager for RTi Research, a market research company in Norwalk. A lifelong enthusiast of American political history, Jordan is an avid reader of historical analyses, with particular interest in learning different perspectives of events and leaders in U.S. history.