The tools of modern medical technology in genetics, laboratory science and neuroscience now allow us to predict or diagnose disabilities at a much earlier stage than a generation ago. This course will review the history of presidential disabilities, their frequency and severity, and how our nation has coped with or ignored them. We will look at two case studies, Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Reagan, as examples. Finally, we will examine the new tools available to medical science and how they will affect the voter’s decisions on who is or is not physically or mentally fit to be president.
