LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
Political Science 4600
Spring 2010
TR 12:30-1:45
Chemistry 553
Instructor: Anthony Madonna
Email: ajmadonn@wustl.edu
Course website: http://ajmadonn.myweb.uga.edu/
Office: 418 Baldwin Hall
Office Hours: T 2:30-4:30
Phone: (706) 583-0555
Course Description:
This course is intended as a broad survey of the legislative branch of the American government. In this
course we discuss the origins and development of the U.S. Congress, congressional elections, the
committee systems, legislative process, the role of political parties, and inter-branch relations. Particular
attention is given to changes in Congress, as well as current political and scholarly controversies such as
budgetary politics, party effects, and campaign finance reform.
Course Goals:
The primary goal of this course is to familiarize the student with the workings of the United States
Congress. The U.S. Congress is not only the oldest popularly elected legislative body, but also one of the
most complex and powerful. A thorough understanding of the body requires not only a familiarity of its
evolution and institutions, but a deep comprehension of the trade-offs inherent in policy-making.
Throughout this course, we will attempt to get a handle on this by relating some of the basic political
science literature on Congress to contemporary events – most notably the 2010 midterm elections.
Required Books:
The following books are required and are available at the Campus Bookstore:
Smith, Steven S., Jason Roberts, and Ryan Vander Wielen. 2008. The American Congress, 5th
Edition. Cambridge University Press.
Sinclair, Barbara. Unorthodox Lawmaking: New Legislative Processes in the U.S. Congress, 3rd
Edition. CQ Press.
Sidlow, Edward. Freshman Orientation: House Style and Home Style. CQ Press.
Students will not only be expected to have done the reading assignments, but should also be aware of
relevant news stories. As such, I recommend reading a daily newspaper – such as the New York Times
(http://www.nytimes.com) and/or the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com) - or at least
checking cnn.com. Additional links to political blogs or websites can be found on the instructors’
website.
Some optional books you might want to consider purchasing can be found on http://www.amazon.com.
Oleszek, Walter J. 2007. Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process. 7th Edition. CQ
Press.
Mann, Robert. 1996. The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard
Russell, and the Struggle for Civil Rights. New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace and World,
Inc.
Caro, Robert. 2002. The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate. New York, NY:
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Murray, Alan and Jeffrey Birnbaum. 1987. Showdown at Gucci Gulch. Random House
Publishing.
Finally, we will also have readings that the instructor will hand out or that can be downloaded from the
internet.
Course Grading:
Student grades in this class will be assigned according to the following:
(1) Class attendance and participation (15% of final grade): One of the goals for this class is for
students to become comfortable discussing congressional institutions, issues, events and research.
Hence, class periods will be part lecture and part discussion. Students should be prepared to
discuss the reading for the day with their classmates. Students will be given 1 point for attending
the class, and an additional point for adequate participation. The lowest three
attendance/participation grades will be dropped.
(2) Midterm Exam (25% of final grade): One midterm examination will be given on Tuesday,
March 2nd. This exam will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions. The midterm
examination will be non-cumulative. If a student is unable to take the exam on the scheduled
date, they should contact the course instructor beforehand. A missed exam will only be excused
for a documented illness (documentation must be provided by a physician) or a death in the
family. If you are excused from an exam, your final exam will be weighted accordingly.
(3) Research Paper (30% of final grade): – Students will be expected to complete a research design
proposal. The paper should be a maximum of 15 pages in length (typed, double-spaced, Times
New Roman, 12 point font). Students will be allowed to choose the topic of their paper, provided
it is related to the Legislative Process. The instructor will be available during office hours for
consultation. The paper should be written with minimal grammatical errors, feature a review of
the relevant scholarly literature, a well developed theory, and a detailed discussion of a potential
test of that theory. A more detailed discussion of the paper will be posted on the course website.
The paper is due Friday, April 14th at 5:00pm. E-mailed papers will not be accepted. Papers
will be docked a full letter grade for each day they are late.
(4) Final Exam (30% of final grade): The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4th from 12:00
to 3:00pm. Like the midterms, it will feature a mix of multiple choice and short essay questions.
The final exam will be cumulative, covering all materials from readings and lectures.
Final course grades will be assigned as follows: 100-93 = A, 90-92 = A-, 87-89 = B+, 83-86 = B, 80-82 =
B-, 77-79 = C+, 73-76 = C, 70-72 = C-, 60-69 = D, and 60-0. Extra credit assignments will not be given
in this course. The official withdrawal deadline is March 23rd.
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Disabilities:
Students with disabilities of any kind are strongly encouraged to notify the instructor and the Office for
Disability Services at the beginning of the semester, so appropriate accommodations can be made.
Instructor Availability:
Students seeking to contact the instructor are encouraged to stop by during scheduled office hours.
Students who are unable to attend office hours should e-mail ahead of time to ensure instructor
availability.
Classroom Behavior:
Students should behave professionally throughout the course. Disruptive behavior of any kind will not be
tolerated. This includes cell phone usage, excessive talking and derogatory or offensive comments made
during discussion. Should students miss class, they will still be held responsible for all material discussed
or assigned.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will
receive an F for the course and their names will be forwarded to the University. It is each student’s
responsibility to know what constitutes plagiarism. Further information regarding academic honesty can
be found at http://www.uga.edu/honesty/.
Course Outline/Readings Schedule:
Date
Jan 7
Topic
Introduction/Course Overview
Jan 12
Congressional History
Jan 14
Congressional History (cont)
Jan 19
Congressional Representation
SRV 1
Jan 21
Congressional Representation (cont.)
SRV 1
Jan 26
Congressional Elections
SRV 3
Jan 28
Congressional Elections (cont)
Feb 2
Congressional Elections (cont)
Feb 4
Congressional Elections (cont)
Feb 9
Process and Procedure
Reading Assignment*
--
U.S. Constitution
Federalist 10,51
Anti-Federalist 11,12,15
SRV 2
SRV 3
SRV 5
SRV 5
Erikson and Wright
Herrnson
Oppenheimer
Jacobson
SRV 4
S1
3
Feb 11
Process and Procedure (cont)
Feb 16
Process and Procedure (cont)
SRV 8
S2
S 3-4
Feb 18
Process and Procedure (cont)
S 5-6
Feb 23
Process and Procedure (cont)
S 7, 9
Feb 25
Review
--
Mar 2
Midterm Exam
--
Mar 4
Congressional Committees
Mar 9
Spring Break – No Class Scheduled
--
Mar 11
Spring Break – No Class Scheduled
--
Mar 16
Congressional Committees
Mar 18
Political Parties and Leadership
Mar 23
Political Parties and Leadership (cont)
Mar 25
Political Parties and Leadership (cont)
Mar 30
Separation of Powers
SRV 7
Krehbiel
Rohde
SRV 6
Lott
S8
Krehbiel
Binder et al.
SRV 9
S 10
SRV 10
Moraski and Shipan
SRV 11
Apr 1
Separation of Powers (cont)
Apr 6
Separation on Powers (cont)
Apr 8
Budget Politics
Apr 13
Budget Politics (cont)
Apr 15
Freshman Orientation (cont)
Sidlow 1-2
Apr 20
Freshman Orientation (cont)
Sidlow 3-4
Apr 22
Freshman Orientation (cont)
Sidlow 5-6
Apr 27
Freshman Orientation (cont)
Sidlow 7-8
Apr 29
Review
--
May 4
Final Exam**
--
SRV 12
S 11
*Assignments from Smith, Roberts and Vander Wielan are denoted SRV. Assignments from Sinclair are
denoted S. All assignments are required unless otherwise noted.
** The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4th from 12:00 to 3:00pm and will be held in the normal
classroom unless otherwise noted.
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