Political
Science
Legislative Process (POLS 307/495)
Fall 2006
Th 6:30-9:15 (TBD)
David M. Dolence
Phone: (708) 524-5969
Office: CL 487 (
E-mail: ddolence@dom.edu
Hours: MWF 8-9,
Always
available by appointment
POSC 307/495 Description: With
midterm elections coming up in November, both political parties are waging war
to control the legislative department of government, the United States
Congress. As important as the presidency is in American politics, most occupants
of the White House soon find out that their single biggest task is to persuade
the Congress to use its legislative powers to enact presidential programs that
otherwise may die on the drawing table. Topics in this course will include
legislative districts, committees, party leadership, and the legislative
process. This course will also study the electoral theory of congressional
politics. Utilizing current elections, the role of elections, incumbency,
challenger strategy, money, campaigning, and voter behavior in congressional
elections will be examined.
Some Course Objectives:
1) Explain the differences between House and Senate
constituencies and districts and how this effects elections.
2) Discuss the differences between an election with an
incumbent and one that is an open seat, including elements such as name
recognition, money, and interest group involvement.
3) Define a gerrymander and explain how this may effect
congressional elections.
4) Define a “Hill Committee” and explain its influence on
congressional elections.
5) Discuss the various electoral roles that local, state,
and national political parties play in congressional elections.
6) State and explain various provisions of the FECA and
the BCRA as it relates to contributions and expenditures.
7) Compare and contrast the membership of a congressional
staff and campaign organization.
8) Discuss the role of interest groups in congressional
elections, including 501 and 527 groups.
9) Explain the difference between independent,
coordinated, and parallel campaign strategies.
10) Discuss the role of various forms of campaign
communications.
11) Explain the role of committees in the congress and
legislative process.
12) Discuss possible reforms in congressional elections.
13) Prepare a written assignment using word processing and
graphics
All students are
expected to have full access to a copy of the following material. It is available in the University bookstore.
Congressional Elections: Campaigning at Home and in
The Contemporary Congress 5th edition, Burdett A. Loomis and Wendy J. Schiller,
Thomson/Wadsworth,
2006.
Students may also be asked to do additional readings and work that may
be found on the internet or provided by the instructor. The Instructor is
working under the assumption that everyone has access to the internet from some
source. If this is a false assumption, it is the student’s responsibility to
let him know early so that other arrangements may be made.
Class Date and Topics Reading
Week One: 14 September
Introduction
to Congress Congress
1, 2
Districts and Constituencies Elections 1
Congress
4 (pp. 61-69)
Week
Three: 28 September
Districts and Constituencies
Week Four: 5 October
One
Word - Incumbency Elections
2, 9
Congress
4 (pp. 70-71)
Week Five: 12 October
Three words – Money, Money, Money Elections 6
Congress
4 (pp. 71-end)
Staff and Organization Congress 8
Elections
3
Communications and Targeting Elections 7, 8
Week Eight: 2 November
Interest Groups Elections 5
Week Nine: 9 November
ELECTION WEEK!!!
Week Ten: 16 November
Political Parties and Hill Committees Elections 4
Week Eleven: 23 November
(Thanksgiving – NO CLASS)
Week Twelve: 30 November
Party Leadership Congress 6
Week Thirteen: 7 December
Committees and Legislation Congress 5 (Scan 10)
Elections
10
Week Fourteen: 14 December
Committees and Legislation
Reforms? Elections
11
IV. COURSE POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND EXPECTATIONS
1. Classroom Behavior and Attendance:
Courtesy and regard for one another should guide classroom behavior. Differences in opinion will inevitably arise
in good discussions. Absolute agreement is NEVER required, but respect is
ALWAYS required. Being in attendance is defined as being present at the
beginning of class and remaining in class until the instructor dismisses the
class for the day. If there are any
scheduling problems that cannot be avoided, please consult with the instructor
immediately.
Students are expected to be attentive to the lectures
and class discussions. Students who
sleep, read the paper, persistently talk with other students or are otherwise
inattentive will be asked to leave the class and will be subject to
administrative dismissal from the course.
All cell phones must be turned off when class begins. If a cell phone rings during class, five (5)
points will be deducted from the owner’s next exam score. The next and each subsequent occurrence,
during the whole semester, will result in a ten (10) point deduction. If
special circumstances exist that require a cell phone to remain on, the
instructor must be informed PRIOR to the beginning of class. Students who have
extended absences due to illness should notify the instructor as promptly as
possible during the absence and produce a doctor’s note indicating the nature
and duration of the illness.
2. Grading: Final
grades will be based on a student’s performance in the following areas:
TWO EXAMS (25%x2): The main
grading portion of the course (50% total) is determined by two
examinations. These exams may consist of
multiple choice, identification, short answer, or essay questions over the
material discussed. The second exam is
not comprehensive, but material learned in the first portion of the course will
be helpful and overlap is to be expected in a non-survey course. More details regarding the exams will be
provided as the course progresses.
ELECTIONS BRIEFS (10%):
Students will be assigned a senate election (or more) that they will follow. A
few classes before election day the races will be briefed by the students and
then after election day the results will be briefed. Particular items to look for and discuss will
be provided in a separate handout. This
is an exposure assignment and not a detailed research paper. Some research will
be necessary, but extensive research
will not be required.
TWO WRITTEN ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS
(10%x2): Two short essays (<8 pages) will be required over the semester. One will be developed using one of the
homework assignments and the other will be related to a topic in the course
discussed at a later date. Separate prompts and explanations will be provided
for these assignments as the course progresses.
TWO HOMEWORK EXERCISES
(6%x2): There will be two effort
assignments over the course of the semester. By design, these assignments will
not have a single “correct” answer, but will ask you to think about topics in
the course and apply that knowledge in some way. They are referred to as effort
assignments because they may be completed in a relatively short amount of time
(in the context of a university level assignment) for a passing grade; however,
the more conscientious students will spend a greater amount of time on them and
that effort will be reflected in a more thoughtful finished product.
PARTICIPATION (8%): This
course, by design and necessity, will be presented in a Socratic form. This
means that student participation and interaction are essential for its
success. The assigned reading must be
done before class and is open for instructor questions at all times. While your
physical presence is a great joy to me, engagement is what puts these points in
the books. Attendance is not a formal
part of the course (meaning I am not counting absences), but will be monitored
by the instructor. Frequent absences,
noticeable by the instructor, will result in a lowering of this portion of the
grade. For general guidance, four or five absences usually go unnoticed, but six
or more is noticed.
Grading Percentage Summary 25% x2 Exams
6% x2 Homework
Exercises
10% x2 Written
Assignments
10% Election
Brief(s)
8% Participation
100%
Final Grade Scale 90% A; 80% B; 70% C; 60% D; <60% F
3. Withdrawals and Incompletes:
Specific withdrawal dates are available by term in the University’s Academic
Calendar or published in the schedule booklet.
It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that an official
withdrawal takes place. All withdrawals
from a course shall be done in writing and on forms provided by the
University. A student’s failure to
attend classes shall not constitute an official withdrawal.
A notation of “I”
indicates that a student has not completed all course requirements as a result
of circumstances judged by the
instructor to be beyond the student’s control. A student must complete all course
requirements no later than the end of the sixth week of the academic term in
which the “I” was noted. Failure to
complete such requirements will result in an “F” (failing) grade. No incomplete will be given unless half of
the work has already been completed at date of request.
4. Syllabus: The syllabus is a tentative schedule for the
course. Each course progresses at a
unique pace and it is inevitable that changes will be necessary. The instructor will announce any changes in
class. In other words, one more reason
for regular attendance is to stay up to date on important assignment and test
dates.
5. Make-up Exam and Late Assignments: Make-up exams will
be given only with adequate documentation that the absence was
unavoidable. The make-up exams are
sufficiently more difficult than the original that prudent people will avoid
them where possible.
Late assignments will be deducted a half letter grade for
each day late. Should an exam be take-home, late exams will be assessed a full
letter grade penalty for each day late. Late
penalties begin at
7. Academic Honesty and Plagiarism: Cheating on exams or
assignments will result in a zero for that assignment or exam. This violation
will also be reported to the Chair of the department or the Dean of the College
for third party documentation, but no action from the third party will be
requested. Any repeat violation WILL result in a failure for the course and
will be reported to the Chair of the department and the Dean of the college for
administrative action.
Plagiarism
is considered cheating and will be handled as stated above. Plagiarism is defined as “representing
another person’s work as your own, whether intentionally through outright
cheating or unintentionally through inaccurate or incomplete
documentation. In this sense, plagiarism
is more than the theft of mere words: plagiarism involves ideas, theories,
insights, work products, projects and images – all collectively termed
intellectual property” (“Waubonsee Community College Plagiarism Statement,”
November 2002). See how I gave credit?
“Cutting and pasting” from the Internet IS plagiarism, changing a single
word of someone else’s work IS plagiarism, changing the words around in someone
else’s sentence IS plagiarism. When in
doubt, provide a citation.
8. Appointments: The instructor will make every
reasonable effort to be available to students.
If you cannot come during scheduled office hours, please call or e-mail
to schedule a mutually convenient appointment.
I will check my email every
weekday when I arrive at my office in the morning and before I depart for the
day.