Professor Nemec 327 Chambers
Office hours: 2:00-3:30 daily
892-2282 (office)
892-1444 (home)

Why has public respect for Congress declined so dramatically? Why have voters in many states opted to limit the terms of House and Senate members? More generally, how well is Congress doing its job? Answering these questions requires a careful and balanced appraisal of what Congress was designed to do, how the institution has adapted to meet new and more demanding challenges, and why institutional performance has not kept pace with public expectations. To make such assessments, you will be expected to do two things: (1) master a body of empirical information about the legislative process and (2) demonstrate the ability to think critically and intelligently about legislative issues. To these ends, you will be exposed to a substantial amount of descriptive material; the reading is not particularly difficult, nor the pace unmanageable. You are responsible for, and should be prepared to discuss, all the assigned reading. Second, all written assignments (exams as well as papers) require you to think; that is, simply memorizing text or lecture materials will not suffice. Each student is expected to deal with issues creatively, to apply concepts and ideas introduced in one context to other areas. The evaluation of student performance will depend to a significant extent on this demonstrated capability.

Exams. There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. Both will be composed primarily of essay questions; the final exam will be comprehensive.

Papers. Each student will have two chances to serve as a political analyst. That is, on two occasions you will turn in analytical briefs (approximately 1300 words) dealing with some legislative problem or question. Specifics will be discussed in class as the assignments are made.

"Issue Bombs". At various times during the semester, "issue bombs" will be "dropped." That is, you will be expected to write a brief in-class essay in answer to a question about a developing political event. Material for the issue bombs will be drawn primarily from the New York Times.

Late work. Late papers will be penalized one full letter grade (ten points) every three days; no work will be accepted more than two weeks late. Please note that computer problems are not acceptable excuses for late work. All work in this course is bound by the Honor Code.

Grade composition. The midterm exam will count 20 percent of the final grade, and the final exam 25 percent. The first analysis paper will count 20 percent, the second 25 percent. The issue bombs will count, as a whole, 10%.

Books required for the course are listed below. Additional assigned reading will be placed on reserve in the library.

Congress and Its Members (6th ed.), Roger Davidson and Walter Oleszek
Congress Reconsidered (6th ed.), Lawrence Dodd and Bruce Oppenheimer (eds.)
Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process (4th ed.), Walter Oleszek
Who Runs for Congress?, Thomas Kazee (ed.)
Rites of Passage, Robert Dewhirst

Students are also required to purchase a term-long subscription to the New York Times. Details will be provided in class.

A. Introduction

B. History and the Modern Congress
Davidson and Oleszek, chaps. 1 and 2
Dodd and Oppenheimer, #1 (Ornstein, et al.);
#2 (Dodd and Oppenheimer)

A. Apportionment and Candidate
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 3;
Alan Emergence Ehrenhalt, The United States of Ambition (on reserve);
Kazee, Who Runs for Congress?, chs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10;
Dodd and Oppenheimer #4 (Swain)

B. Campaigns and Elections
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 4;
Dodd and Oppenheimer, #5 (Herrnson),
#6 (Erikson and Wright)

C. Home Style and Representation
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 5

A. Rules and Procedures
Oleszek, Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process, chaps. 1-2, 4-10

B. Committees and Subcommittees
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 7;
Dodd and Oppenheimer #7 (Smith and Lawrence);
#8 (Evans and Oleszek)

A. Legislative Decision-Making
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 9

MIDTERM EXAMINATION (tentative date: Friday, February 27)

B. Constituencies
Douglas Arnold, "Can Inattentive Citizens Control Their Elected Representatives?" (on reserve)

C. Leaders and Parties
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 6;
Dodd and Oppenheimer #10 (Sinclair),
#11 (Cooper and Young)

D. Interest Groups
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 12

E. Congress and the President
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 10

A. Domestic Policy-Making
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 13

B. Budgeting
Oleszek, Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process, chap. 3;
Dodd and Oppenheimer #14 (Thurber)

C. Foreign Policy-Making
Davidson and Oleszek, ch. 14;
Dodd and Oppenheimer #13 (Burgin)

From Family Medical Leave to Dewhirst, Rites of Passage Appropriations Politics