New additions to the Kennedy assassination records have dominated headlines in recent weeks, but for the last 10 years, LPPS 3280 “Lessons in Leadership: JFK and the Most Personal Office” has been a highlight of the University’s policy curriculum.
Offered by the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and taught by Professor Larry Sabato, the class teaches students about former President John F. Kennedy’s lifetime and lasting impact on politics, policy and the presidency. The class connects lessons in Kennedy’s leadership back to key issues facing America today, giving students insight into how to navigate the current political landscape.
Sabato, founder and director of the University’s Center for Politics, guides the course with his 2013 book, “The Kennedy Half-Century,” which offers a detailed look into Kennedy’s lifetime and legacy. Enhanced by his role at the Center for Politics and as Editor-in-Chief of the nonpartisan political analysis newsletter “Sabato’s Crystal Ball,” the class combines Sabato’s first-hand experience with a deep dive into how Kennedy’s actions and influence remain relevant to modern politics.
Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, entered office in 1961. The Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Space Race and the Vietnam War are just a few of the critical issues that defined his presidency, which was cut short on Nov. 22, 1963 when he was assassinated during a parade in Dallas.
Although the course is named for Kennedy, Sabato emphasized the importance of providing historical context for his term in the White House. The Kennedy name gets people in the door, he said, but students end up learning about a wide array of 20th-century American leaders who influenced, or were influenced by, Kennedy.
“I try to cover from FDR to the present, but it would be impossible to cover all the events and circumstances of all these presidencies,” Sabato said. “You have to have a focus, you have to have a filter, you have to have a prism. That's what we use JFK for.”
Pulling lessons from the nation’s leaders with Kennedy’s influence as a guide, the course encourages students to apply knowledge of the past to the developing issues of the present.
“While some [students] have been [politically] active for a long time, or at least keeping up with the news, they’re still new at it,” Sabato said. “I hope that covering all of these presidencies and discussing all these big issues will keep students attuned to current events and to their role in current events.”
Second-year College student Chloe Calabrese said she frequently finds herself drawing connections between this class and modern politics. Kennedy’s presidency, she believes, ushered in a new era of American leadership, specifically in the media age.
“JFK was kind of this ‘celebrity president’ who was in the media all the time and who people adored,” Calabrese said. “I think the presidency has shifted into that. We see so much news about every president that their kids and grandkids even become celebrities. It seems like that, in a lot of ways, started with Kennedy.”
Calabrese also noted the parallels between the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and current debates about DEI programs, which make Sabato’s course especially relevant for students. Both time periods have been marked by contentious discussions among lawmakers, protests by activist groups and the overarching uncertainty of the American people.
“[Kennedy] had to appease the Southern Democrats in Congress, but he was also facing pressure from Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders. The issue of DEI right now is similarly polarizing,” Calabrese said. “There definitely are some parallels, and it'll be interesting to see what that looks like going forward.”
Sabato echoed Calabrese’s connection between these two tumultuous periods in American politics, citing Kennedy’s constrained initiative on the Civil Rights issue as a lesson for modern day leaders.
“What we ought to learn from [Kennedy] is to do the right thing and do it now because you may not be here tomorrow,” Sabato said. “It's not wrong to take practical considerations into account, but don’t use that as an excuse to do little or nothing.”
As a policy student, Calabrese finds particular relevance in Kennedy’s attempts to turn ideas into concrete action. His pragmatism and willingness to compromise, she said, offer valuable insights to effective governance.
“I think there's a lot about Kennedy's presidency and his legacy that is important context if you are going into politics or making policy,” Calabrese said. “We're in such a partisan government now, so it's important to understand how to pass legislation … in such a polarized environment.”
Beyond the course’s content, Calabrese stressed that Sabato’s passions for the Kennedy legacy and American politics shine through both his lectures and his interactions with students, in and outside of the classroom.
“He is a really unique professor in his teaching style — I love it,” Calabrese said. “He is very interested in the whole experience of teaching. He hosts movie nights, and we also had a pizza dinner at his pavilion. He's always down to talk to students and share his life experience, and that comes through in his lectures as well.”
Sabato’s connection to the course content, after all, is more than just research or a best-selling book. For him, the stories of 20th-century American politics are personal. He vividly remembers the events of Kennedy’s presidency, and throughout his career, he has been able to observe Kennedy’s legacy in American politics firsthand. He said that teaching the class is like revisiting moments from throughout his life.
“It's like a ‘this is your life’ kind of course because I remember so many of these things,” Sabato said. “I was either watching them, or as I got older in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I was involved. I always went to the conventions, and I met with these people — I was there.”
Sabato said that it is fulfilling to see students energized by class discussions and applying what they’ve learned to current events. He said that sparking interest in politics among his students, especially underclassmen, is one of his favorite aspects of teaching the course.
Sabato’s personal ties to the public sphere inspire him to encourage all of his students, many of whom are in Batten, to engage in politics beyond the course and consider holding office one day. Having worked for a myriad of campaigns and as an analyst for decades, Sabato urges members of the class to dive into politics and learn via experience, regardless of the current political landscape. He stressed that ambition and persistence can overcome the inevitable uncertainty that comes with working in a dynamic democracy.
“Don't plan your career based on what is happening today because the worm always turns,” Sabato said. “Parties come and go, candidates come and go, presidents come and go, crises come and go, so you have to roll with the punches. Give yourself time to adapt and learn because it's the daily, weekly, yearly learning that's going to make you an effective public servant.”
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