| POLS 315: The Legislative Process, Fall 2007 |
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| Instructor: Randall D. Smith Offfice: 108-B Asbury E-Mail: randallsmith@depauw.edu Office Phone: (765) 658-4714 Website: oocities.com/randall_d_smith/ Office Hours: 10-11 & 1-2 MWF or appt. |
| Description:
POLS 315 provides a more thorough introduction to the study of the US Congress. As the second-most analyzed aspect of the American government (with elections the most analyzed), a wealth of information exists on the subject. The purpose of this course is to make some sense of the myriad of theories about Congress that abound in political science. This course begins with a brief historical examination of the evolution and institutionalization of Congress. It then turns to analysis of scholarly theories about the motivations of members of Congress and how these motivations likely affect the nature of the institution itself. We will address questions such as: Can we best understand Congress and its members as self-serving? If it/they are, can this shed any light on the nature of the public policy enacted? Alternatively, does considering the importance of information to this institution illuminate Congressional action more clearly? With these theoretical works in mind, this course will proceed to analyze more particular aspects of the study of Congress. And, ask if we should more correctly analyze Congress as a bifurcated institution (a.k.a. “Two Congresses”). Topics discussed will include: rules, procedures and structures of Congress; as well as the role of parties, leadership, and interest groups. The latter of these will take on a special emphasis in our treatment of Congressional elections. The understanding arrived at through study of these topics will provide a base for our discussions of Congressional interaction with the other branches of government, and most importantly the act of policy-making itself. Course Methodology: This course is primarily a seminar style course. Students are expected to read the assigned readings before the course meets and be prepared to discuss the topics covered in the readings. This is a discussion-driven course, meaning that I will do very little lecturing. Instead, I will highlight important aspects of the reading during our discussions, and add insight from other relevant scholarly work. Audio/visual aids may be utilized to emphasize particularly relevant topics. Of course, current events will likely color our discussions. Students are expected to keep close tabs on Congress throughout the duration of this course and students should be prepared to answer and raise questions about what is going on in Congress each week. Americans often take the US Congress for granted. We elect our representatives and Senators and send them off to Washington for the constitutionally stipulated time period and generally only re-evaluate this decision at the point of re-election with the question: “What have you done for me lately?” Yet, doing something for you a while back, or lately, may be more difficult a task than we actually realize. After the Thanksgiving Break, we will turn our theoretical understandings and thorough analysis to the study of policy-making. We will discuss a variety of different conceptions regarding this process and provide a better understanding of the complexities of “simply passing a piece of legislation.” Overall, the course will provide more than adequate understanding of the legislative process, and serve as a stepping stone for students interested in congressional internships, graduate study of American politics, or gaining a more thorough knowledge of the legislative branch of the US government. Texts: Arnold, R. Douglas. 1992. The Logic of Congressional Action. New Haven. Yale University Press. ISBN: 978-0300056594. Davidson, Roger H., Walter J. Oleszek, and Frances E. Lee. 2007. Congress and Its Members, 11/E. Washington DC. CQ Press. ISBN: 978-0872893573. Krehbiel, Keith. 1991. Information and Legislative Organization. Ann Arbor. University of Michigan Press. ISBN: 978-0472064601. Mayhew, David R. 2004. Congress: The Electoral Connection, 2/E. New Haven, Yale University Press. ISBN: 978-0300105872. Various items placed on reserve in the Roy O. West (Main) Library and/or available via the web at JSTOR (available free through the Library). Objectives and Outcomes: 1. To acquaint students with an historical background of Congress. 2. To increase understanding of the variety of theoretical constructs offered by political scientists to explain the behavior of members of Congress (MCs). 3. To offer students an opportunity to critically think about how MC behavior affects Congress as an institution. 4. To encourage critical thinking about how Congress acts as an institution. 5. To provide a more thorough understanding of what the legislative branch of the US government does, and how it does it. 6. To increase student awareness of the contributions of women and minorities in American politics. 7. To introduce students to classic and contemporary research in the field. 8. To encourage students to participate actively as global citizens and researchers. Examinations and Grading: Your performance determines your course grade in the following manner: 100 points possible = Midterm Exam 100 points possible = Final Exam 100 points possible = Participation 100 points possible = Legislative Background 100 points possible = Peer Insight (50 pts. your evaluation and 50 pts. your insight into others’ evaluations) 100 points possible = Legislative Evaluation 600 points possible = Total Test Grades: This course involves a total of two (2) examinations. Each exam covers the textbook readings, the classroom notes, class discussions, and current events. These exams are closed book, closed note. Participation Grade: The determination of the participation portion of your grade first involves attendance. The necessity of attending every class session thus reflects in this portion of your grade. This participation portion also involves your active contribution to class discussions. Class participation provides the opportunity of receiving an “A” in this course. Therefore, I establish some guidelines for discussion. Concern your comments with the topics concerning the American Congress. An open manner conducts this discussion. Feel free to disagree with me, the readings, the institutions and political actions discussed, and with your classmates. However, this discussion reflects the collegiate atmosphere in that it unfolds in an intelligent manner and you must support your opinion with facts (that may mean research). Interruption, use of slurs and making fun of other students encounters strict prohibition. Participation also requires students to keep informed of current events. Students are also expected to remain informed regarding news on Capitol Hill. While reputable newspapers (such as the New York Times) remain important sources of such information. Increasingly, several web sites are becoming even better regarded sources of more up-to-date information. See, for example: http://public.cq.com/, www.congress.com, www.congresslink.org, and of course, www.thomas.gov. The final aspect of the participation portion of your grade involves the Moodle presence for this course. Students will be expected to interact with the course’s Moodle presence on a regular basis. Moodle will serve as: the course’s web presence, a blog and discussion forum, as well as access to E-reserves and other pertinent course information. Papers: This class also requires two papers. These papers contribute to the final project for this course. The final project requires students to select a piece of legislation currently before the Congress and track it’s toils and tribulations through the legislative process. The piece of legislation chosen is up to you, but it will likely be easier to track the policy if it is a more prominent piece of legislation. This assignment will necessitate the use of primarily on-line resources, such as those listed above under the “Participation” sub-heading. The Legislative Briefing: For this briefing you must choose piece of legislation currently before Congress. Then, submit to your classmates and me vital information about the bill in question. This paper should be approximately 8-10 pages in length. First, this briefing should open with a brief detail of the piece of legislation you have chosen. What is its purpose? How long has it been before Congress? Where is it currently at in the legislative calendar? (Of course information such as its name – both long and short form – as well as its number will be very important.) Second, present a brief biography of the top two sponsors of the bill. This biography should discuss general background characteristics of the sponsoring members of Congress, their districts, their political affiliation and ideology (i.e. how liberal or conservative they are), as well as their campaign contributors. Sources such as www.vote-smart.org, www.opensecrets.org, and major newspapers published in the MCs’ district/state will likely provide important information for this portion of the assignment. Finally, describe current media coverage of the bill. Has it run into any stumbling blocks? Who are its major opponents? What sort of media coverage is the bill receiving, and is the coverage different nationally versus in the MC’s district? The Legislative Evaluation: Once you know the background of the bill, you can theorize about the legislative process that the bill undertook (or is undertaking). This provides the topic for the second paper for this course. It should also be approximately 8-10 pages in length. This assignment asks you to examine your selected piece of legislation’s progress utilizing one (or more) of the analytical models discussed at the end of this course. Which model provides greatest insight into the progress, or lack thereof, of your “pet Bill” through Congress? This paper will require students to draw general conclusions about the theoretical conceptions of Congress and its members by integrating their new-found understanding of Congress with basic theories on public policy. Essentially, this paper should look to answer the question, “What explains the current form (or situation) of your chosen piece of legislation?” Peer Insight: Each student will provide enough copies of their Legislative Briefing so that all members of the class will receive a copy (plus one for myself). Throughout the semester, all students will be expected to keep tabs on their fellow classmates’ “pet Bill.” During the last two meetings of the course, each student will be required to explain their current Legislative Evaluation. This explanation will be worth 50 pts. Other students will then have a chance to provide their insight into your Legislative Evaluation prior to the paper’s due date. Your comments on others’ evaluations are worth 50 pts. as well, so it is also important to keep track of your colleagues’ “pet Bills.” The Peer Insight meetings will afford each student a chance to “run what they’re thinking” by their classmates. The more attentive each of you are to your classmates’ “pet Bills,” the higher likelihood each of them will receive an “A” on their Legislative Evaluation. Technology: All personal communications devices (i.e. cell phones, Blackberries, etc.) are to be turned off prior to entering the classroom. Utilizing these devices during regular class time will result in a reduction on that day’s attendance score, and during test periods will be treated as cheating. I do not mind use of laptops for note-taking or in conjunction with internet resources I may discuss in class. However, abuse of this policy (i.e. checking E-mail, IM-ing, etc.) will necessitate revision of this policy (which may include banning laptops all together). Technology should aid in our academic endeavor, not hinder it. |
| All work requires standard grammatical English and prompt attention to due dates. I cannot grade what I cannot read. If I cannot read an assignment I ask you once to rewrite it, and after that first warning you either receive a reduced grade or no credit. Cheating and plagiarism also encounter strict prohibition and require that I deal with them according to DePauw University policy and procedure. |
| Course and Topic Outline:
Wednesday, 8/22/07 Introduction , What Do We “Know” About Congress? Friday, 8/24/07 Documented History Read: The US Constitution, and Federalist Papers 48, 51, 57, & 62. Monday, 8/27/07 From Then ‘till Now, Institutionalization? Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 2; Read also: Polsby, Nelson W. The Institutionalization of the U.S. House of Representatives. American Political Science Review. Vol. 62, No. 1 (Mar.1968), pp. 144-168. (JSTOR). Wednesday, 8/29/07 Members With Goals Read: Mayhew, Part I. Friday, 8/31/07 No Class – Instructor is attending APSA Annual Meeting Monday, 9/3/07 Members and Congress, A Symbiotic Relationship Read: Mayhew, Part II. Wednesday, 9/5/07 From Rational Economics, to A Logic Read: Arnold, Chapters 1 & 2. Friday, 9/7/07 The Logic’s Affect on Elections Read: Arnold, Chapter 3. Monday, 9/10/07 A Simple Logical Calculation Read: Arnold, Chapter 4. Wednesday, 9/12/07 Leading A Coalition Read: Arnold, Chapter 5. Friday, 9/14/07 The Logic’s Affect on Policy Decisions Read: Arnold, Chapter 6. Monday, 9/17/07 Perhaps Information Rather than Distribution Read: Krehbiel, Chapters 1 & 2. Wednesday, 9/19/07 An Informational Theory Read: Krehbiel, Chapter 3. Friday, 9/21/07 Information and Committees Read: Krehbiel, Chapter 4. LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING DUE Monday, 9/24/07 Information and Rules Read: Krehbiel, Chapter 5. Wednesday, 9/26/07 Information’s Affect on Debate Read: Krehbiel, Chapter 6. Friday, 9/28/07 Information’s Affect on the Outcome Read: Krehbiel, Chapter 7. Monday, 10/1/07 An Institutional Counterpoint Read: Shepsle, Kenneth A., and Barry R. Weingast. 1987. The Institutional Foundations of Committee Power. American Political Science Review. Vol. 81, No. 1 (Mar., 1987). pp. 85-104. (JSTOR). Wednesday, 10/3/07 MIDTERM EXAM Friday, 10/5/07 Re-Cap, Re-Evaluation, and Setting the Stage for Two Congresses Monday, 10/8/07 Two Congresses? Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapters 1 & 3. Wednesday, 10/10/07 Cold, Hard, Cash, or Warm, Soft, Cash? Read: Rundquist, Barry S., Ola Adeoye, Julia Dowse, Chris Christenson, and Randall D. Smith. 2001. The Illinois Tenth Congressional District: The Role of Soft Money (in) David B. Magelby (ed.) Election Advocacy: Soft Money and Issue Advocacy in the 2000 Congressional Elections. Provo, UT. Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University. pp.161-172. (E-Reserve). Read also: Jacobson, Gary C.. 2004. Chapter 3: Congressional Candidates. (in) The Politics of Congressional Elections, 6/E. New York. Longman. Pp. 23-57. (E-Reserve). Friday, 10/12/07 Making It Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 4. Monday, 10/15/07 Fall Break – No Classes Wednesday, 10/17/07 Fall Break – No Classes Friday, 10/19/07 Fall Break – No Classes Monday, 10/22/07 Being There (Or, You Won Now What?; Alternatively, Staying There) Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 5. Wednesday, 10/24/07 Parties and Leaders Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 6. Friday, 10/26/07 The Committee Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 7. Monday, 10/29/07 Rules and Procedures Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 8. Wednesday, 10/31/07 Floor Debate Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 9. Friday, 11/2/07 Congress and the President Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 10. Monday, 11/5/07 Congress and the Bureaucracy Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 11. Wednesday, 11/7/07 Congress and the Courts Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 12. Friday, 11/9/07 The Role of Organized Interests Revisited Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 13. Monday, 11/12/07 Domestic Policy Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 14. Wednesday, 11/14/07 Foreign (and National Security) Policy Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 15. Friday, 11/16/07 Congress and the American People Read: Davidson, Oleszek, & Lee, Chapter 16. Read also: Arnold, Chapter 10. Monday, 11/19/07 Final Examination Wednesday, 11/21/07 Thanksgiving Break – No Classes Friday, 11/23/07 Thanksgiving Break – No Classes Monday, 11/26/07 Considering Policy Read: Dye, Thomas R.. 2008. Chapter 2: Models of Politics; Some Help in Thinking about Public Policy (in) Understanding Public Policy, 12/E. Upper Saddle, NJ. Peason/Prentice Hall. (E-Reserve). Wednesday, 11/28/07 The Economics Influence and Mayhew’s Impact (Rational Choice, Public Choice, and Game Theory) Read: Downs, Anthony. 1957. Chapter 4: The BasicLogic of Government Decision-Making (in) An Economic Theory of Democracy. New York. Harper and Row. pp. 51-74. (E-Reserve); Read Also: Calvert, Randall L. 1985. Robustness of the Multidimensional Voting Model: Candidate Motivations, Uncertainty, and Convergence. American Journal of Political Science, (29:69). pp 69-95. (JSTOR) Read Also: Baron, David P. and John A. Ferejohn. 1989. Bargaining in Legislatures. American Political Science Review, (83:1181). pp. 1181-1206. (JSTOR) Friday, 11/30/07 Reconsidering the Economics Influence and Krehbiel’s Impact (Institutional Theories and Process) Read: Diermeier, Daniel and Keith Krehbiel. 2001. Institutionalism as a Methodology, Research Paper No. 1699. Research Paper Series: Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Available at http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/seminars/pegroup/diermeier.pdf; Read Also: Oleszek, Walter J.. 1983. Integration and Fragmentation: Key Themes of Congressional Change. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 466, Implementing Governmental Change. pp. 193-205. (JSTOR). Monday, 12/3/07 Thinking Outside the Box and Other Considerations (Elite Theory, Group Theory, and Incrementalism) Read: Dye, Thomas R. and Harmon Zeigler. 2000. Chapter 1: The Irony of Democracy. (in) The Irony of Democracy: An Uncommon Introduction to American Politics. Fort Worth. Harcourt Brace. pp. 1-24. (E-Reserve). Read Also: Latham, Earl. 1952. The Group Basis of Politics: Notes for a Theory. The American Political Science Review, (46: 2). pp. 376-397. (JSTOR). Read Also: Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan Jones. 1993. Chapter 1: Punctuated Equilibria in Politics (in) Agendas and Instability in American Politics. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. pp. 3-24. (E-Reserve) Wednesday, 12/5/07 and Friday, 12/7/07 Peer Insight Into Legislative Evaluation Monday – Friday, 12/10-12/14 Final Examination Period, Legislative Evaluation Due |
| This syllabus remains subject to change at the instructor’s discretion, without prior notice.
Students with disabilities who require accommodations for access and participation in this course must be registered with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at (765) 658-6267, and let me know so that appropriate accommodations may be made. |
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