Congress
PE-320: Section 01
Dr. David Hill
Office: Elizabeth Hall, Room 315B
Office Hours:
TR 10:30am-12:00pm
By appointment also
Phone: 822-7579
email: dhill@stetson.edu
Spring 2009
Elizabeth Hall, Room 319
MWF 1:30pm-2:20pm
Course Description
In this course we will take an in-depth look at the history, structure, and processes of the United
States Congress. In doing so, we will examine the congressional committee system,
congressional leadership, the role of parties, and the factors influencing the decision making of
congressional members (MCs). We will focus closely on congressional elections because
examining the electoral motivations of MCs is crucial to understanding their behavior in
Congress. We will also explore the role of Congress in the policymaking process by examining
the interaction between Congress and the executive branch, judicial branch and interest groups.
The course also serves as a preparation for the 38th Annual Floyd M. Riddick U.S. Model Senate,
hosted here at Stetson, March 12-14. The Model U.S. Senate is a unique weekend where
students from Stetson University and several other universities from Florida and other states
assume the role of a sitting U.S. Senator and participate in a three-day session of the Senate.
Participants will attend committee meetings and hearings, press for the passage of their assigned
bill, caucus in their respective parties, debate and vote on the Senate floor. This experience
allows students to take an active role in the American legislative process, instead of the
traditional curriculum consisting of textbooks.
Course Objectives
1. To expose students to the important debates in the study of Congress.
2. To facilitate the students’ ability to research and analyze a piece of legislation from
introduction to the final outcome (passage or defeat).
3. To facilitate students’ ability to conduct extensive research on Congress and to use that
research to craft a research paper related to the course material.
4. To prepare students for participation in the 38th Annual Floyd M. Riddick U.S. Model Senate.
Required Readings
Davidson, Roger H. and Walter J. Oleszak. 2007. Congress and Its Members.
Washington D.C.: CQ Press
Dodd, Lawrence C. and Bruce I. Oppenheimer. 2009. Congress Reconsidered.
Washington D.C.: CQ Press.
Several required readings will be placed on the Blackboard course website. Students are
responsible for completing these readings, as they will be the focus of class discussions and
exam material. All written assignments are to be submitted through Blackboard. Hard copies
will not be accepted.
Course Requirements and Grades
Midterm Exam
Case Study
Final Exam
Class Participation
Model Senate
25%
30%
25%
10%
10%
Examinations
The midterm examination is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 27th during regular class
hours. The final examination is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5th at 1:00pm. Each exam will
have two components. The first will be a series of short essays. The second component of the
exam will be a long essay. The final exam will be cumulative, although its main emphasis will
be on the second half of the course.
Case Study
The case study will be comprised of three separate papers (each comprises 10% of your final
grade) on your assignment bill for the Model Senate. These papers will be based on a bill of your
choice, which will also serve as your assigned piece of legislation in the Model Senate. You
need to pick a bill from the 109th or 110th Congresses that had a final vote in both Houses.
Please take care to choose a bill that had as much activity as possible, because the overall goal of
the three part case study is a comprehensive legislative history of a piece of legislation. You can
select your bill by visiting http://thomas.loc.gov. Your bill should be submitted to me via
blackboard no later Wednesday January 28th.
Paper 1
This paper consists of two parts. The first is an in-depth examination of your bill for the Model
Senate, including statistics explaining the need for the legislation, the cost of the legislation, and
the rationale for the legislation in terms of meeting need. The paper should address the political
strategy for winning passage of the bill, including names of allies and opponents in the Congress
and in the country. You also must include a one-page speech that you will use at Model Senate
introducing the bill in committee.
The paper should be 6-7 pages (double spaced) with appropriate documentation and a one page
speech (in addition to the page requirements). The paper should include a bibliography and also a
cover page with the title of the paper, the student’s name, the course title and number (neither the
bibliography nor the title page are included in the page requirements). Due Friday February
27th
Paper 2
This paper will focus on the legislative history of the bill. To this end, you will explore
the various steps in the bill’s journey through Congress. You will need to identify and discuss
any changes to the bill and, as much as possible, identify who the key congressional players
involved in the process.
The paper should be 7-8 pages with appropriate documentation. The paper should include a
bibliography and also a cover page with the title of the paper, the student’s name, the course title
and number (neither the bibliography nor the title page are included in the page requirements).
Due Monday March 30th.
Paper 3
The final paper in the case study will explore the role of interest groups in the formulation of
your bill. In this paper you will need to identify what groups were involved in the process and
how they tried to influence the process. Did citizens have an influence on the outcome? What
effect does this bill (or the issue related to the bill) have on elections? In your final analysis
(taking the entire case study into account) will the public interest be served by the passage or
defeat of this piece of legislation?
The paper should be 6-8 pages (double spaced) with appropriate documentation. The paper
should include a bibliography and also a cover page with the title of the paper, the student’s
name, the course title and number (neither the bibliography nor the title page are included in the
page requirements). Due Monday April 20th.
The research for these papers will, in large part, be based on legitimate periodical sources, such
as Congressional Quarterly, Washington Post, New York Times, National Journal, Wall Street
Journal as well as the daily Congressional Record. You should also take care to include
academic books and journal articles that offer theoretical perspective for understanding the
process of this legislation. Wikipedia is not an acceptable source. Any blog used as a source,
must be approved by me.
Late papers will be penalized with a ½ letter grade reduction for each day the paper is
submitted following the due date.
Class Participation
Ten percent of your final grade will be classroom participation. Attendance is required and will comprise
a sizable portion of your class participation score. Absences from class and examinations will be excused
only if the student provides verifiable documentation of accident, illness, or a university or legal
obligation. I reserve the right to give a “reading quiz” at any point during the semester. The
grades from these quizzes will be calculated as part of your participation score. Undocumented
absences from examinations or quizzes will result in a score of zero.
Model Senate Participation
Participation in the Floyd M. Riddick Model United States Senate is the final portion of your grade. Your
grade will be based on your preparation for the event, attendance at the event, and your actual
participation over the course of the weekend. Please visit the registration website for the class and
register as soon as possible after January 21st. http://www.stetson.edu/org/modelsenate/pe320.html
Grading Scale
A 93-100 C 73-76
A- 90-92
C- 70-72
B+ 87-89
D+ 67-69
B 83-86
D 63-66
B- 80-82
D- 60-62
C+ 77-79
F 59 and below
I approach the classroom as an exchange of ideas between scholars. Implicit in this statement is
the idea that all individuals (including myself) will come to class prepared to discuss the reading
material for the day. An exchange of ideas cannot take place with only one person participating.
In order to facilitate classroom discussion I will frequently call on students to either answer a
question or to provide their thoughts concerning the readings for the day. The best way to
succeed in this course is to do the assigned readings, take notes if possible, and come to class
with the intention of discussing the material you have read.
Incompletes
No student will be given an incomplete in the course without a verifiable accident, illness, or
severe family emergency. If at all possible, these situations must be discussed with the professor
prior to the end of the semester, in order for an incomplete to given.
Extra Credit
There will be no extra credit awarded to any student for any reason. Please don’t ask.
Academic Honesty
Cheating on examinations or plagiarism will result in a score of “F” on the assignment in
question. If you have any questions concerning university policy on academic honesty, please
review the Honor Pledge at http://www.stetson.edu/honorsystem/index.php. In order to reaffirm you
commitment to the Honor Pledge please write (type) the word pledged next to your name on
each written assignment.
Special Needs
Any necessary accommodation will be made for students with disabilities by arrangement with
the Academic Resources Center. Students requiring accommodation should inform me
(privately) of their situation during the first week of class.
Please take advantage of my office hours. They are strictly for the purpose of helping you
understand the material presented in the class. If you can’t meet me during office hours I will be
glad to set up an appointment so we can meet at a time when both of our schedules allow it. You
can also contact me anytime through e-mail to ask a question or to set up an appointment if you
have a problem meeting during my scheduled hours.
Writing Resource
For help with writing please see the excellent writing page created by Professor Gary Maris. The
address for the page is http://www.stetson.edu/~gmaris/Write.htm. At this site you can find
information on grammar, punctuation, sources, documentation, and ideas on how to construct a
research paper.
Course Outline
Items marked with an asterisk are on the course website
I. Introduction (January 14-21)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 1
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 18 (Dodd and Oppenheimer)
II. Evolution of Congress (Janunary 23-28)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 2
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 1 (Sinclair)
Polsby*
III. The Electoral Connection (February 2-9)
Mayhew*
Fenno*
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 5
Fiorina (on Blackboard)
IV. Candidates, Voters and Money (February 11-18)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 4
Jacobson*
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 4 (Erikson and Wright)
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 5 (Hernnson and Curry)
V. The Impact of Districting (February 20)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 3
Oppenheimer (on Blackboard)
VI. VII. Rules and Procedures (February 23-25)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapters 8
Midterm Friday, February 27
MODEL SENATE PREPARATION AND PARTICIPATION (MARCH 12-14)
VII. Parties in Congress (March 16-18)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 6
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 7 (Smith and Gamm)
VIII. Committees (March 20-25)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 7
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 10 (Aldrich and Rhode)
Fenno*
IX. Decisionmaking (March 27-30)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 9
X Leadership (April 1-April 6)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 6
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 8 (Schickler and Pearson)
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 9 (Evans and Grandy)
XI. Congress and the Executive Branch (April 8-10)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapters 10 and 11
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 14 (Howell and Griner)
XII. Congress and The Judicial Branch (April 13-15)
Davidson and Oleszek Chapter 12
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 11 (Binder and Maltzman)
XIII. Congress and Interest Groups (April 17-20)
Davidson and Oleszek, Chapter 13
XIV. Congress and Change (April 22 -24)
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 16 (Cooper)
Dodd (On Blackboard)
XV. Reforms (April 27-29)
Dodd and Oppenheimer, Chapter 3 (Mann and Ornstein)
Sabato*