This course will review the performance of the Trump Presidency along four key dimensions one year after his November 2024 victory. The class will assess President Trump’s handling of the economy, immigration and border security, social policy, and foreign policy. Included in this discussion will be an evaluation of the Trump Administration’s successes and failures in the courts in its attempts to implement portions of its policy agenda via unilateral executive action. In addition, the course will examine the atypical 2025 mid-decade redistricting process in Texas spurred by President Trump’s goal of retaining Republican control of the U.S. House during his final two years in office. An overview of the new Texas congressional district map will be provided, with a particular focus on the partisan shift in five targeted districts currently represented by Democrats, on two Republican-held districts that could be vulnerable in 2026, and on the consequences of the new map for minority representation. The Texas Republican gerrymander has spurred California Democrats to undertake a Democratic gerrymander in the Golden State, with other states on both sides of the partisan aisle likely to join this unprecedented mid-decade redistricting frenzy as each party attempts to maximize its ability to win in 2026. The course will evaluate the likely effects of these additional redistricting efforts in other states, concluding with an overall analysis of the effect of these redistricting processes on the likelihood of Republicans winning a majority of the U.S. House seats in November 2026. The class will conclude with an examination of President Trump’s approval ratings and public attitudes toward his presidency, one year after his election and one year before Republicans must face voters in the 2026 midterm elections.

5 weeks | Tuesdays, October 21 - November 18 | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
In person and simulcast