Presidents of the Fifth Republic

In this course we will examine presidential power in France's Fifth Republic, introduced in 1958. We will study the six presidents of the Fifth Republic - Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, and the current president Nicolas Sarkozy - through memoirs, speeches, research monographs, journal articles, and biographies. We will focus on the content of their domestic and foreign policies as well as their leadership strategies and visions for France in a comparative perspective. (This course will be taught in French; FREN 0230 or by waiver). 3 hrs. lect./disc. and film screenings.