pos4424

POS 4424
LEGISLATIVE POLITICS
SUMMER A, 2009

David Hedge
218 Anderson
273-2367
E-Mail: dhedge@polisci.ufl.edu
Course Web Page: www.clas.ufl.edu/users/dhedge/congress.htm
Office Hours: T, W, Th 2-3:00

COURSE OVERVIEW

This is an exciting time to be studying the U. S, Congress. While the nation looks to the new president for solutions to the major problems we face here at home and overseas, President Obama's success at providing those solutions will depend largely on his ability to navigate and "move" the Congress. 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. It has also undergone fundamental change in the last several decades. Many of those changes are the result of Republican control of the Congress over the period 1995-2006. Others changes (e.g. increased partisanship) were already taking place well before the 1994 election. And still others are likely to emerge as the President and congressional Democrats estabish themselves as the majority party in D.C. Throughout the semester, we will look at how these and other developments have shaped 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? Have we moved into an era of presidential dominance? Is that a bad thing?

* 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. Students should view the announcement page regularly for reading and writing assignments, information on exams, and other course information.

TEXTS -- Students are expected to purchase the following texts:

Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Congress and its Members, 11th ed. (CQ Press, 2008).
Maraniss and Weisskopf, "Tell Newt to Shut Up!" (Touchstone, 1998).

I have (or will) also created links (labeled @) to a series of articles on the on-line version of the course syllabus and the announcement page.

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 Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and the Sunday talk shows are excellent sources of information on current political developments.

5. There will be two exams. The first exam is scheduled for Monday, June 1. Our second exam is scheduled for the last day of class, Friday, June 19. Makeup exams are allowed only in rare and deserving case and at the discretion of the instructor.

6. Throughout the semester you will be assigned a series of short written assignments/exercises. Those assignments are frequently the basis for class discussion and constitute 10% of your grade.

7. The final grade will be apportioned as follows:

      Short written assignments           10%
      Exam # 1                                       45%
      Exam # 2                                       45%

As you know the university has adopted a new grading system and a new set of rules for calculating your GPA. Your letter grade will reflect those changes. 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/

8. Students are expected to comply with UF's Academic Honesty Guidelines Students who commit an act of academic dishonesty will suffer the appropriate sanction.

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

Congress: An Overview

Topic: A Changing Congress

Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee Chapters 1 and 2.

Davidson, "Building a Republican Regime on Capitol Hill" (class handout)

Topic: Assessing the Congress

Readings: Rieselbach, 1994, "Congress and American Politics." (class handout)

Binder et al. "Mending the Broken Branch: Assessing the 110th Congress, Anticipating the 111th." January 8, 2009, Brookings Institution @

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. @

Mann. 2008. "A Collapse of the Campaign Finance Regime?" Brookings Institution.@

The Legislator

Topics: Membership Profiles
Members and Their Districts

Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Ch. 5.

Eilprin, "Looking Homeward: Many in Congress Choose Commuting." September 3, 2001. Washington Post Online. @

Term Limits: A case for limits. A case against term limits @

Organizing Congress

Topic: Informal Norms, Informal Groups

Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee pp. 363-64

Topic: The Committee System

Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapter 7.

Pershing "Waxman's Win Marks Seismic Shift in House," November 20, 2008, Washington Post Online, .@

Topic: The Party System

Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapter 6.

"Tell Newt To Shut Up!" ALL

Levin, "Pelosi Gathers Power, Sets Party to Gain House Seats." May 8, 2008. Bloomberg.com @

Hulse, "Pelosi's Order in the House" June 1, 2007, New York Times online. @

Executive-Legislative Relations

Topic: Congress and the President

Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapters 10, 15, and pp. 375-382.

Topic: Congress and the Bureaucracy

Readings: Davidson, Oleszek and Lee, Chapter 11.

Williamson, "Revival of Oversight Role Sought," April 25, 2007. Washington Post online. @

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. (available on line from Smathers Library).

Congressional Decision-Making

         Topics: Collective Decision Making
                     The Individual Decider
                       The Role of Lobbyists

Readings: Davidson and Oleszek, Chapters 8, 9 and 13

Morgan, Cohen, and Gaul, "Powerful Interests Ally to Restructure Agriculture Subsidies," December 22, 2006. Washington Post online. @

"Last True Filibuster 13 Years Ago," May 19, 2005, FoxNews.com. @

Toner, "Demands of Partisanship Bring Change to the Senate," May 20, 2005. New York Times. @