POS 4424
LEGISLATIVE POLITICS
Fall, 2011
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David Hedge |
COURSE OVERVIEW
This is an exciting time to be studying the U. S, Congress. The recent mid-term elections demonstrate how volatile Congressional and American politics have become in recent years. Divided government aside, the problems facing America require at least some action from the Congress and the president. That will not be easy. Congress is a complex institution that is pulled in several different directions by a myriad of influences within and outside its walls. Throughout the semester, we will look at how those influences shape the Congress' ability to represent the American people while working with the President and others to govern wisely. Among the topics we will consider are: (a) recruitment and election of members; (b) congressional organization; (c) executive-legislative relations; (d) legislative policy-making; and (e) congressional reform. In doing that, a number of issues will be addressed, including:
* What kinds of changes have occurred in the basic operations of the Congress in recent decades? What are the implications of those changes for the quality of congressional life?
* What forces operate in congressional elections? How have congressional elections changed in recent years? What changes, if any, need to be made in how congressional elections are financed and contested?
* What should be the respective roles of Congress and the President?
* To what extent is the Congress able to produce effective public policies that are responsive to the needs and demands of the American people? What institutional characteristics contribute to and detract from Congress' ability to govern and govern wisely?
* What changes are needed to make Congress a viable democratic institution? To what extent, and in what ways, are those changes likely to occur in the first decades of the new century?
THE COURSE WEB PAGE -- I have created a web page for this course at the address listed above. It includes links to the course syllabus and a number of relevant web sites. I have also created a course listserv.
TEXTS -- Students are expected to purchase the following texts:
Davidson, Roger, Walter Oleszek, and Francis Lee. 2011. Congress and its Members. 13th ed. (CQ Press)
Maraniss, David and MichaelWeisskopf. 1998. "Tell Newt to Shut Up!" (Touchstone).
Mayhew, David. 1994. Congress: The Electoral Connection. 2nd ed. (Yale University).
I have (or will) also created links (labeled @) to a series of articles on the on-line version of the course syllabus.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS\EXPECTATIONS
1. Students with disabilities and special needs are encouraged to contact the instructor to discuss appropriate accommodations.
2. Students are expected to attend class regularly and participate in class discussion.
3. The level of readings for this course is moderately heavy. I expect you to read all of the assignments (on schedule) and be prepared to discuss those materials in class.
4. Current events in Washington provide an exciting backdrop for the course. The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and the Sunday talk shows are excellent sources of information on current political developments.
5. Throughout the term each of you will be asked to write a series (7-9) of short (1-2 pages) written assignments. There will be two exams. Each exam will consist of a mixture of multiple choice and essay questions. The second exam will be held on the last day of class. The final grade will be apportioned as follows:
Short written assignments 20%
Exam # 1 40%
Exam # 2 40%
The university has adopted a new grading system and a new set of rules for calculating your GPA. However, I will not be assigning minus grades this semester. Additional information about the new grading standards can be found at http://gatortimes.ufl.edu/2008/10/03/minus-grades-to-be-implemented-summer-2009/
6. Students are expected to comply with UF's Academic Honesty Guidelines Students who commit an act of academic dishonesty will recieve the appropriate sanctions.
COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
Congress: An Overview
Topic: Judging the Congress
Readings: Rieselbach, 1994, "Congressional Reform" (class handout)
Davidson, Oleszek, and Lee, Chapter 1.
Topic: A Changing Congress
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee Chapters 1 and 2.
`Shepsle, "The Changing Textbook Congress."
Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection. ALL
Summary of Mann and Ornstein's The Broken Branch
Selection of Legislators
Topics: Districting and Apportionment
Nomination Politics
Campaign Finance
The Voter
Election Outcomes
Campaign Reform
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapters 3 and 4.
Murray, "Candidacy Fosters a Debate on Race," July 6, 2006, Washington Post online. @
The Legislator
Topics: Membership Profiles
Members and Their Districts
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Ch. 5.
Term Limits: The Cato Institute, A case for limits. Rep Henry Hyde (R) A case against term limits @
Organizing Congress
Topic: Informal Norms, Informal Groups
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee pp. 133-134, 191-192.
Topic: The Committee System
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapter 7.
Topic: The Party System
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapter 6.
Paul Kane, October 27, 2010, "The Rise, fall, and rise of John Boehner," Washington Post Online edition.
"Tell Newt To Shut Up!" ALL
Executive-Legislative Relations
Topic: Congress and the President
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapters 10 and 15.
Robert M Cheney. June 17, 2011. "A Primer on the Libya/War Powers Resolution Compliance Debate." Brookings Institute Online.
Topic: Congress and the Bureaucracy
Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapter 11.
Hedge and Johnson. July, 2002. "The Plot that Failed: The Republican Revolution and Congressional Control of the Bureaucracy." Journal of Public
Administration Research and Theory. UF e-journals.
Congressional Decision-Making
Topics: The Role of Lobbyists
Individual Decision Making
Collective Decision Making
Readings: Davidson and Oleszek, Chapters 8, 9 and 13.