POL S 353 A: United States Congress

Course Overview

This course focuses on the U.S. Congress. The purpose of the course is to learn about both the history and development of the Congress and the current state of Congress. The course will examine various internal (i.e. institutional rules and procedures) and external (i.e. campaigns and elections, interest groups, public opinion) dimensions of the Congress. A large segment of the course will also focus on the policy process, gridlock, and the interaction of legislative branch with other political actors. Other topics include representation, redistricting, organization within the Congress, partisan politics and polarization, and recent legislation.

Grade Breakdown:    
In-Class Midterm Exam:    25%
Paper:                                 25%
Participation:                     15%
In-Class Final Exam:        35%