SYLLABUS THE CONGRESS (PO 501) BOSTON UNIVERSITY. Norfolk Campus. Gary Donato. Office Phone - Messages may be left in Education Office

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1 SYLLABUS THE CONGRESS (PO 501) BOSTON UNIVERSITY Norfolk Cmpus Gry Donto Office Phone - Messges my be left in Eduction Office SPRING 2014

2 COURSE DESCRIPTION: Tking historicl/nlyticl perspective on the development, structure, nd procedures of Congress, this course focuses on both the design nd performnce. We will look t the evolution nd growth of the institution, its inner workings, filings nd reform efforts. REQUIRED TEXT: CQ Press Editors How Congress Works 5 th edition. CA Press. ISBN: Oleszek, Wlter J Congressionl Procedures nd the Policy Process. 9 th edition. CQ Press. ISBN: OBJECTIVES: Among the topics we will focus on re: the pre-constitutionl nd Constitutionl bsis of the institution; highlights of the development of the body of Congress; elections nd members; strengths nd weknesses of the institution; interbrnch reltions with the President nd the Courts; key domestic nd foreign issues s well s current trends; mjor policy issues presently under considertion. More specificlly, upon completion of this course, you the student should be ble to: Understnd, properly differentite, nd criticlly nlyze primry nd secondry historicl sources. Mke use of criticl thinking techniques including problem solving, integrtion, nlysis nd synthesis, nd to develop these skills both orlly nd in writing. Demonstrte bsic knowledge of the mjor historicl issues nd events of the period under study. Develop n insight nd wreness of the prdoxicl reltionships of the Congress to the other brnches of government. Develop n understnding nd pprecition of the origins nd ever-chnging nture of the Americn Congress. Develop criticl nlysis of the reltionship of citizens to Congress through the introduction fo csework s constituency service Gin n insight into the dynmics of elite decision-mking plcing those decisions into the broder frmework of n incresingly polrized electorte. Gin n of key concepts relted to the institution of Congress such s bicmerlism, federlism, oversight, institutionl ethics, philosophicl bsis of decision-mking; rules nd procedures governing ech body; committee nd cucus systems; nd representtion vs legisltion. Gin bsic understnding of congressionl membership nd elections including such concepts s gerrymndering, redistricting, nd repportionment Gin n understnding of the very different wys floor debte occurs in the House nd Sente Gin n understnding of the mending nd lwmking process (orthodox nd unorthodox methodology).

3 METHOD OF EVALUATION: - Student prticiption/individul contribution (this is vitl for course of this cliber).. - Two tke-home exmintions (mixed question type) - Four short response ppers (~5 pges) - Election prediction pper - GRADING CRITERIA: Your finl grde will be computed s follows: - Prticiption 15% - Attendnce 10% - Response ppers 40% - Exmintions 35% (15% midterm; 20% finl) A C A C B D B D B D C F Unstisfctory READINGS: I ssign the reding for ech clss session in the syllbus. Prticiption nd rticultion of position cnnot occur without reding the ssigned mteril. To mke this clss success, keep up with the redings. ATTENDANCE: The student hndbook clerly outlines the ttendnce policy. If you do not hve copy of the hndbook, I strongly recommend you get one. I expect you, the student, to mke every effort to ttend ll clsses scheduled. The fourth unexcused bsence will result in drop of one grde level (i.e. from B to B-). DISABILITIES STATEMENT: If you hve hidden or visible disbility which my require clssroom or test-tking modifictions, plese see me s soon s possible. MAKE-UP EXAMS: Are not given. This policy lso pplies to ppers nd orl presenttions. Advnce notifiction nd working with me concerning scheduling problems signifies mrk of mturity nd responsibility. Remember, you scheduled when the ppers re due. PERFORMANCE: How well you perform in clss nd on exmintions is combintion of three fctors:

4 - How well I present the mteril. - Your personl motivtion to lern. (Notice tht I did not mention your cpbility. You re cpble by the mere fct tht you re sitting here.) - Your personl discipline to prepre. OVERALL: I hndle the course similr to the job environment. Cll me before clss nd you get sick dy, cll fter nd I dock your grde. Tlk to me to resolve issues, to solve problems, nd to get your questions nswered. I m here to help you, let us work together for your cdemic chievement. LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS CLASS IS TO ENJOY IT.

5 Boston Univ. Spring 2014 Metropolitn College The Congress PO 501 GARY DONATO M 6 8:15 Norfolk Cmpus WEEK TOPIC READING 1 Introduction nd Constitutionl Bsis Article 1 & II (1/27) Bsic Structure of Congress Worst Congress Ever 1 st Congress: 4/1/1789; 1 st Committee: Committee on Elections Why? NJ v VA Plns; CT Compromise; horizontl nd verticl seprtion of powers; checks nd blnces. Explin why the House ws more productive thn the Sente. Why is Congress presently rted s the worst congress ever with n pprovl rting rnging between 5% nd 9%? Concepts: federlism, bicmerlism, representtion, legisltion, oversight. 2 Bckground: Origins/Power FP 51, 52, 54; (2/3) Federlist/Antifederlist Debte AFP Brutus 4, XVI Melncton Smith Tonight we tke closer look t the origins of the institution of Congress s well s the concerns of such nti-federlists s Melncton Smith nd Brutus. Red Smith nd Brutus crefully to see wht the concerns were. Were they correct in their concerns? How did the Federlists counter the Anti-Federlist concerns regrding mjority rule vs minority rights? How do we see the debte nd the construct of the institution both empower the federl government yet t the sme time limit tht power? 3 The precedent nd the first crisis Oleszek Ch 1 (2/10) Enumerted vs implied powers FP 39, 51 Tenth mendment vs Art I Sec 8 Cl 18 How cn Congress estblish for itself implied powers? Wht is the effect of tht estblishment? Wht bout the structure of government s well s the form of powers cretes the bsis of conflict nd compromise? Differentite between the stges of congressionl development: o Experimentl o Democrtic o Reconstructive o Textbook o Reform post 1968 Response Pper #1 Due in clss 2/10 Topic see prompt.

6 4 No clsses holidy President s Dy 2/17 5 Congressionl Mkeup/Elections CQ ch 3 2/24 Oleszek 1 & 3 Hndouts Describe the present mkeup of Congress (demogrphic)? Should Congress be electorlly structured to become sociologicl microcosm of whom they represent? Does it mke sense to drw some congressionl districts so tht they re mjorityminority? Wht re the effects of cmpign funds in congressionl elections? Wht motivtes individuls to run for elective office? Wht is the effect of the census on the structurl mkeup of congressionl districts? Wht hve been the effects of cmpign money nd cmpign finnce reforms on Congress? Wht hs been the role of prties in Congress (PIG:PIE:PO) Concepts: representtion (lloctive, csework, constituent; symbolic); gerrymndering; redistricting; repportionment; turnover vs tenure; midterm election effect. Websites: opensecrets.org; politiclmoneyline.com Response pper #2 due in clss 3/3 see prompt for guidnce 6 Congressionl Committee System Oleszek 1, 3 (3/3) CA 3 Crckup of the Committees How does Congress determine the structure nd mkeup of the committees in ech chmber? Wht re the fctors in individul ssignments to prticulr committees? Describe the differences nd similrities of the Prty System vs the Committee System. Wht hs been the effect of the cucus on the committee system? Wht is the importnce of the Rules Committee? Concepts: stnding, joint, select, conference Exmintion #1 Due in Clss 3/10 7 Ledership Oleszek 3 & 4 (3/10) Bureucrtic structure (stff) CQ 1 Trce the development nd roles of congressionl stff over the vrious time periods of Congress.

7 How hs the growth of congressionl resources ffected the functions of Congress? 8 Procedures of the House Oleszek Ch 3-5 (3/17) CQ 2 The procedures of the House re significntly more complex thn the Sente. Discuss the resoning of the complexity of House procedures? How re bills introduced nd moved through the House? Describe the vrious pedigrees of legisltion in the House. Describe the vrious forms of bill chnges in the House: mendments; mendments to mendments; substitute mendments nd mendments to substitutions. How re bills referred in the House: subcommittee; full committee, Committee on the Whole; Rules Committee? Wht is the 5 minute rule nd why is it importnt in the House? Wht is ment by suspend the rules? Describe the clendrs of the House: Union, House, Privte, Corrections. 9 Procedures Sente Oleszek Ch 6-8 (3/31) CQ 2 Who is the floor mnger of the Sente nd how does tht role compre to the House? Describe the differences nd significnce between limited nd unlimited debte. Wht is the filibuster/cloture? Hrry Reid recently coordinted significnt shift in the filibuster rules. Wht ws tht shift nd wht re its implictions? Describe the importnce of the sentoril hold. Wht is the purpose of unnimous consent? Response Pper # 3 Due in Clss 4/7 topic TBD see prompt 10 Procedures (continued) Oleszek Ch 3 8 (4/7) Forms of government CQ 2 Politicl scientists often sy who controls the rules controls the outcomes. Apply this mxim to both the House nd the Sente how do they differ? Wht re strtegic nd tcticl opportunities in the House/Sente to either kill bill or move it to floor considertion? Wht is the power of congressionl leders s pplied to chmber procedures? Wht re the forms of government nd the effects of ech on policy mking? (unified; divided; truncted A; truncted B). How cn one mesure legisltive success from whose perspective re we mesuring nd why? Discuss the terms gridlock nd shutdown. Discuss the vrous forms of vetoes: presidentil, legisltive, line item.

8 Wht is the result of INS v Chdh (legisltive) nd US v Clinton (line item)? 11 Budget Process Oleszek Ch 2 (4/14) Nelson One of the most complex processes in congress dels with the budget. Wht is the budgetry lifecycle nd timeline? How nd why did the budget lifecyle chnge in the 1920s? Wht is the impliction of the budget process when considered ginst the bicmerl nd seprtion of powers/checks nd blnces system? No clsses 4/21 Ester holidy. 12 Interbrnch Reltions FP 52, FP 63 (4/28) Art I & II CQ 2 & 3 (esp 180) Wht is the reltionship between the executive nd legisltive? Judicil nd legisltive? Wht tools does the legisltive brnch hve to exercise congressionl oversight? Wht is the reltionship between the Congress nd the Bureucrcy? Reserch Pper (RP#4) due in clss 28 see prompt. 13 The Need for Reform Hndouts (5/5) FP 51 There is very little disgreement regrding the necessity of reforming both the institutionl construct nd the procedures of Congress. This, however, is not new concern. Wht is the necessity of reform from the Federlist perspective? One of the fvored reforms from the electorte is term limits. Describe the effects of term limits on congressionl function. Wht ws the ruling in U.S. Term Limits Inc. v Thorton? Wht hs Congress done to reform nd control its members? Refer to the Government Reform Committee s well s the individul chmber ethics committees. Wht hs been the overll implictions of the vrious mjor reforms since the Legisltive Reform Act of 1946? Finl Exm due in clss 5/5. 14 The 2014 mid-term elections hndouts 5/12 Predictive pper on the 2014 elections due

9 Ppers nd Exmintion Informtion I will constntly evlute your writing skills s the course develops. EXAMS: Exmintions will be of the "mixed type" combining true/flse, multiple choice, short nswer (less thn prgrph), longer nswer (prgrph), nd essy (pge to pge nd hlf). Responses other thn multiple choice require supporting evidence in the form of cittion/quottion using either MLA/APA/Chicgo Mnul of Style formt. NOTE: Grding on tke home exmintions consist of 50% for the correct nswer nd 50% for germne supporting evidence. PAPERS All written mteril must be typed double-spced nd with 1 ½ left mrgin, 1 mrgins top/bottom/right. The writing must comply with MLA stndrds. I most strongly recommend you cquire writing guide/hndbook. I evlute the ppers for content, grmmr, nd historicl ccurcy nd most importntly, integrtion of reding mteril (text, reder, contemporneous redings). The best wy to ensure you hve presentble pper is to conduct both spell nd grmmr check nd hve t lest one peer red your pper, preferbly loud so you cn her your errors. The qulity of your ppers flls into nd between three ctegories: Superior, Excellent, nd Good. Superior:(A/A-) Pper is historiclly ccurte with min ides supported by fcts. The pper hs cler thesis, originl/thoughtful interprettion nd demonstrtes significnt knowledge of the topic. This pper lso exhibits cretive use of wide rnging sources tht dvnce the thesis nd nlysis. Finlly, this pper exhibits blnce between interprettions. Excellent:(B+/B/B-) The min ides hve fctul support but cn be improved with more evidence. The thesis is present, but not clerly stted. This pper presents more description thn nlysis. The uthor uses vriety of sources to support the thesis but provides little nlysis of the supporting mteril. Finlly, this pper inordintely selects one position over nother with little convincing evidence or nlysis. Good:(C+/C/C-) Little evidentiry mteril to support thesis. The pper hs focus but no cler thesis. The work is essentilly non-specific in tht there is little nlysis nd fctul mteril to support position. Source mteril is not diverse, too much emphsis on one type of resource. The pper only presents one point of view when it is obvious tht others exist. POOR: (D/F) There re no cogent or pertinent ides present. No evidence or nlysis, source mteril not present. The pper ws obviously written in hste. (you generlly hve to work to chieve grde this low!)