Legislative Process and Behavior

Legislative Process and Behavior Baylor University Political Science (PSC) 3310 Fall 2016 Instructor Information Dr. Patrick Flavin Email: Patrick_J_Flavin@baylor.edu Phone: 254.710.7418 Office location: Burleson 307.01 Office hours: Mondays 1-3 PM, Tuesdays 9-11 AM, Wednesdays 3-5 PM Class Time and Location Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 3:15 PM Draper 140 Course Description and Goals The American Congress is responsible for representing we the people, but recent public opinion polls report that most Americans don t much care for Congress. To understand why, in this class you will become an expert on everything Congress including: its Constitutional origins and historical evolution, congressional campaigns and elections, what motivates our Representatives and Senators and how they spend their time in office, the rules and procedures that dictate how the House and Senate operate on a day-to-day basis, the process by which public policies that affect all of us are created, the importance of political parties in Congress and their role in intensifying political polarization, how Congress interacts (and competes) with the executive and judicial branches for political influence, the relationship between our elected officials and lobbyists/interest groups, how Congress compares to the 50 state legislatures and legislatures in other countries around the world, and how political science research can help us to better understand Congress. Along the way, we will pay special attention to two main themes: (1) the important role that congressional campaigns and the desire to get reelected have in shaping the behavior of our Representatives and Senators and (2) identifying and analyzing electoral and institutional reforms that might help make Congress a more efficient and effective servant of the American people. In short, this class will provide you with the tools necessary to critically evaluate both the positives and negatives of our federal legislative branch and come to your own conclusions about how well (or poorly) Congress serves you. As with any endeavor in life, it is important to set goals at the outset so we can evaluate our performance when we finish. So, after taking this course, you should be able to: Explain the Constitutional foundations of Congress and how it has evolved over time; Analyze strategies used in congressional campaigns and assess the influence that elections have on the behavior of Representatives and Senators while in office; Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the organizational structure and the rules and procedures that guide the policymaking process in the House and the Senate; and Identify and evaluate possible electoral and institutional reforms that would help Congress to function more efficiently and effectively. 1

Readings There is one textbook you will need to acquire for this course. It is available at the Baylor Bookstore or can be purchased online. Make sure you purchase the correct edition! Steven S. Smith, Jason M. Roberts, and Ryan J. Vander Wielen. 2015. The American Congress (9 th Edition). New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 9781107571785. In addition, there are reading assignments posted on our class Canvas page. To access them, go to the Modules tab on the left. I will also post detailed assignment directions, exam study guides, and other important class documents in this tab so you can access them at your convenience. Course Requirements Coming to class is a necessary, but not sufficient, part of being an active participant in the learning process. It is also crucial that you read the assigned material for each class completely and carefully. This course does not have hundreds of pages of reading per week. However, it does require very thorough attention to the reading that is assigned. Doing the assigned reading before each class session will provide important background information and greatly enhance what you learn and ultimately take away from this course. In addition, there will be questions on the exams that are taken directly from the readings. So, do the reading. All of it. Every time. If you don t, your grade for this class will suffer. Your final grade for this class is made up of six components. The breakdown of the course requirements as a percentage of your final grade is as follows: 100 points (20%) Exam #1 100 points (20%) Exam #2 125 points (25%) Cumulative Final Exam 75 points (15%) Fixing Congress Paper 75 points (15%) Congressional Election Analysis Paper 25 points (5%) Class Attendance (after 2 absences, you lose 5 points for each additional) 500 points (100%) Exams There are three exams for this course, two during the semester and a cumulative final exam. They will draw on material from both lectures and the assigned readings and will consist of a mixture of true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and one-page essay questions. They will be designed so you can finish the exam within the time allotted. I will provide a study guide prior to the exam to aid your preparation. Make sure to hold onto your graded exams when they are returned to you because there will be questions (including essays) on the cumulative final exam that are taken directly from the two exams during the semester. The three exams will be held on the following dates: Exam #1: Thursday, September 22 Exam #2: Tuesday, November 1 Cumulative Final Exam: Thursday, December 8, 4:30-6:30 PM (final exam period for this class) 2

Fixing Congress Paper (4-6 pages) Drawing on class readings and discussion, you will write a paper that explains your own plan for reforming Congress so it is a more efficient and effective servant for the American people. In your paper, you will propose two reforms to Congress and explain why they would be helpful, as well as identify one current feature of Congress that you think is working well and should stay the same. I will hand out a more detailed assignment description and grading rubric early on in the semester. A hard copy of your completed paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, October 13. It will be graded out of a possible 75 points. Congressional Election Analysis Paper (5-7 pages) As we will discuss throughout the semester, Representatives and Senators often behave as single-minded seekers of reelection. This makes sense because in a democratic republic like the United States, elections are the decisive link between regular citizens and political elites. To better understand how elections function, you will select one race for the House of Representatives or Senate this fall and become an expert on it. To explain the race, you have to become familiar with it first: Who are the candidates? What issues are they emphasizing in their campaigns? Who are they raising campaign funds from? You also have to closely acquaint yourself with the voters: What are the demographics of the electorate? What issues are most important to them? Finally, you have to consider the factors that might influence the election: Did national trends benefit one candidate over the other? Which candidate was more effective communicating his/her message to voters? Which campaign was better able to mobilize supporters? I will hand out a more detailed assignment description and grading rubric a few weeks into the semester. A hard copy of your completed paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, November 17. It will be graded out of a possible 75 points. Congressional Reform Hearings If Congress is broken, what can be done to fix it? During the semester, we will hold five Congressional committee hearings in class to debate potential reforms aimed at making Congress more efficient and effective. All students are encouraged to participate by asking questions during the hearings, but five students will be specifically signed up to testify to the committee for each hearing. I will pass around a sign-up sheet for the Congressional hearings early in the semester and assign students to represent a specific side of the debate one week before each hearing. The date and topic for each hearing are as follows: 1. Tuesday, September 6: The U.S. Senate should return to indirect elections, with Senators selected by state legislatures instead of directly by voters. 2. Tuesday, September 13: There should be no limit on how much money an individual or group can contribute to a congressional candidate s campaign. 3. Tuesday, September 20: A person should only be able to serve a maximum of two terms as a Representative and two terms as a Senator during a lifetime. 4. Thursday, September 29: For all congressional elections, candidates should not have a party affiliation listed next to their name on the ballot. 5. Thursday, October 6: The filibuster rule in the Senate should be abolished, and all votes should be decided only by simple majority rule. 3

Class Attendance Students who regularly miss class will not do well in this course. At the beginning of every class, I will pass an attendance sign-in sheet around the classroom. It is your responsibility to make sure you sign the sheet for every class session. If you do not sign the sheet, you will be counted as absent for that day. Each student is allowed two unexcused absences during the semester without penalty. For the third and each subsequent absence, a student will lose 5 points (1% of their final course grade) from the Class Attendance component of their grade. In accordance with the Baylor University College of Arts and Sciences official attendance policy, any student who misses more than seven class sessions (i.e. attends less than 75% of the classes) will automatically receive a failing grade for the semester. So, you are strongly encouraged to attend each and every class session. If you have any questions about your attendance record during the semester, please contact me. Questions About Graded Assignments I am happy to answer any questions about your grade on an exam or paper. However, you are required to wait 24 hours after it is returned to you before contacting me to discuss your grade. Letter Grade Breakdown I will use the following metric when calculating your semester letter grade. Please note that there will be no rounding up for borderline grades. You can view your scores for completed assignments at any time during the semester on our class Canvas page. A 465-500 points (93-100% of the total points possible) A- 450-464 (90-92.8%) B+ 435-449 (87-89.8%) B 415-434 (83-86.8%) B- 400-414 (80-82.8%) C+ 385-399 (77-79.8%) C 365-384 (73-76.8%) C- 350-364 (70-72.8%) D+ 335-349 (67-69.8%) D 315-334 (63-66.8%) D- 300-314 (60-62.8%) F 299 or less (less than 60%) Late Assignments Policy Written assignments that are turned in late will still be accepted, but with a penalty. For each calendar day the paper is late, your grade will be reduced by 10 points. For example, if you turn in your paper one day late and earn a grade of 72/75, you will only get 62/75 in the grade book (a 10 point deduction). If your paper is two days late, you will get 52/75 (a 20 point deduction); and so on. So, it certainly benefits you to get all assignments turned in on time. 4

Academic Integrity Cheating is against University policy and just plain stupid. You are all too smart and have worked too hard to be here at Baylor to ruin it by not doing your own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated, and appropriate action will be taken if it is suspected. For all writing assignments, be sure to provide proper citation and reference information if you consult outside sources. This is a good habit to get into not only while here at Baylor, but beyond as well. Title IX Office If you or someone you know would like help related to an experience of sexual violence including sexual assault, harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or other type of non-consensual sexual conduct, please contact Patty Crawford, the Title IX Coordinator at Baylor University, by email (Patty_Crawford@baylor.edu) or phone (254-710-8454). Anonymous reporting for students or third parties is also available on the Title IX website, www.baylor.edu/titleix. The Title IX office understands the sensitive nature of these situations and can provide information about available on- and off-campus resources, such as counseling and psychological services, medical treatment, academic support, university housing and other forms of assistance. Staff members at the office will also explain your rights and the judicial process options, if you choose to file a complaint with the University. You will not be required to share your experience, and the Title IX Office will keep any information private. The Title IX Office exists to support and empower students, while allowing them to remain in control. If you or someone you know feels unsafe or may be in imminent danger, please call the Baylor Police Department (254-710-2222) or Waco Police Department (9-1-1) immediately. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Any student eligible for and needing academic adjustments or accommodations because of a documented disability is requested to contact the Baylor Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA) and speak with me no later than Tuesday, August 30. Detailed Reading/Assignment Schedule for the Semester On the following two pages, I list the class topic and assigned reading for each day of our semester together. You should have the assigned reading completed in time for the class session it is listed next to. So, for example, you should read Chapter 1 of our The American Congress textbook before coming to class on Thursday, August 25. Class sessions where assignments are due are indicated with BOLD LETTERS. The following abbreviations are used to indicate where to find the assigned reading for each class session: TAC = The American Congress C = Reading available on our class Canvas page (Modules Class Readings) 5

Day Date Class Topic Reading/Assignment Due Tuesday August 23 Introductions and Syllabus Carefully read class syllabus Thursday August 25 Why study Congress? What do we want to learn? Tuesday August 30 Creating a legislative branch: Congress and the Constitution Thursday September 1 NO CLASS Tuesday September 6 The historical evolution (or devolution?) of Congress Congressional Hearing #1 Thursday September 8 Congressional campaigns Candidates and strategy Tuesday September 13 Congressional campaigns Fundraising and advertising Congressional Hearing #2 Thursday September 15 Who wins on Election Day? (plus Congressional redistricting!) Tuesday September 20 The many perks of being an incumbent in Congress Congressional Hearing #3 Thursday September 22 EXAM #1 TAC Ch. 1 TAC Ch. 2 Article I of U.S. Constitution C The Big Lobotomy TAC Ch. 3 C Does Money Buy Elections? C Explaining the Republican Lock on the House TAC Ch. 4 Tuesday September 27 How the House and Senate are TAC Ch. 5 organized (leadership structure) Thursday September 29 Political parties and growing C The Empty Chamber polarization in Congress Congressional Hearing #4 Tuesday October 4 Congressional committees: What TAC Ch. 6 do they do? Why have them? Thursday October 6 The rules of the game in the TAC Ch. 7 House and Senate Congressional Hearing #5 Tuesday October 11 Spatial theory of legislating TAC Appendix Thursday October 13 How bills become laws (and Schoolhouse Rock version!) Tuesday October 18 What explains why Representatives and Senators vote the way they do? Thursday October 20 NO CLASS Tuesday October 25 Congress and the President: Rivals for power DUE: FIXING CONGRESS PAPER TAC Ch. 8 TAC Ch. 9 6

Thursday October 27 Congress and the Courts: Judicial confirmation politics Tuesday November 1 EXAM #2 Thursday November 3 Congress and lobbyists/interest groups Tuesday November 8 Passing a federal budget (or at least trying to) Thursday November 10 Comparing Congress to the 50 state legislatures Tuesday November 15 Comparing Congress to legislatures around the world Thursday November 17 A day in the life of a Member of Congress Tuesday November 22 NO CLASS Thursday November 24 NO CLASS HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Tuesday November 29 Why don t Americans like or trust Congress? Should they? Thursday December 1 Semester/Final Exam Review TAC Ch. 10 TAC Ch. 11 TAC Ch. 12 C State Legislators Perceptions of Time on the Job C The Perils of Presidentialism DUE: CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION ANALYSIS PAPER C Running Scared Thursday December 8 CUMULATIVE FINAL EXAM 4:30 6:30 PM 7