Course Overview:
This course focuses on the U.S. Congress. The purpose of the course is to learn about the structure and development of Congress, in addition to 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 the legislative branch with other institutions (Courts & the President) and political parties. Additional topics include representation, redistricting, organization within the Congress, polarization, and recent legislation.
The assignments in this course will be two exams (midterm and final), a 6-8 pg. paper, and two short reflection memos in response to films . Please note this course does not have a weekly quiz section.
Required Books:
The United States Congress, 2nd Edition, E. Scott Adler, Jeffrey A. Jenkins, and Charles R. Shipan, Norton, 2021,
Congress Reconsidered, 12th Edition, Lawrence Dodd, Bruce Oppenheimer, and C. Lawrence Evans, CQ Press 2020 ** Please note: There is a newer edition of this book that might be adopted in this course for Fall of 2025. More information on the exact editions used in the course will be available in Sept 2025. **
The books may be purchased at the university bookstore. You are welcome to purchase print, kindle, or e-versions of the books that are available in these editions.
Renting, used, and e-versions are all considerably cheaper than new paperback versions of the texts. You may find these books available at a lower cost from online websites (such as Amazon or directly from Norton) for purchase new or used, in e-book format, or available for rent at a significantly reduced price. The campus bookstore may also have used copies of these books.