Time Schedule:
Mark A. Smith
POL S 353
Seattle Campus
Organization and procedure of Congress, state legislative politics, lobbying, legislative roles, theory and practice of representative government.
Class description
Description. The U.S. Congress is marked by a number of paradoxes. Congress is the only popularly elected branch of government, yet Americans perceive it to be less responsive to them than the other branches. Americans tend to support their own House and Senate members yet distrust Congress as a whole. And so on. In this course, we seek to understand the place of Congress in American politics. We will give special attention to congressional elections and the connection between what the people say they want and what Congress does. We will also examine such questions as the relationship between Congress and the President, the way rules and procedures affect how Congress operates, and the role of committees and parties within Congress. Texts. Birnbaum/Murray, Showdown at Gucci Gulch; Price, The Congressional Experience; King, Running Scared; Harris, In Defense of Congress; Gingsberg/Shefter, Politics by Other Means.Assignments. A midterm, a final, and an analytical paper.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
Assignments. A midterm, a final, and an analytical paper.
Grading. Exams: 30/40 % Papers: 30 % Project/presentation: % Class/quiz participation: % Attendance: % Other: ______ % TOTAL: 100 %
