Political Science 3314
Congress
Spring, 2008
Test Answers
Prof. Charles Walcott
528 Major Williams
Phone: 231-5491; e-mail: cwalcott@vt.edu
Office Hours: MTWTh 10:30-2
Teaching Assistant: Jason Johnson
512 Major Williams
e-mail: jwjohns@vt.edu
Office Hours: M,T,Th 2-3
Required Books:
Lawrence C. Dodd & Bruce I. Oppenheimer, Congress Reconsidered,
8th ed.
Course Requirements:
EXAMS: There will be three midterm exams, each worth 50 points, a paper, also worth 50 points, and an optional final. The midterms will consist of both multiple-choice and short-essay questions. The multiple-choice questions are designed to ensure each student's mastery of the basic terms and concepts in the study of the U.S. Congress. The short essays will ask students to describe more complex ideas or relationships and to evaluate their significance. Study guides will be available prior to all midterm exams. The final will be a take-home worth 50 points, potentially covering the whole course. It may be substituted for the student's lowest midterm exam grade. The papers will be analytical essays written on topics provided by the instructor.
GRADING: There will be
no curving. For the course as a whole, the grading scale will be
as follows:
A = 180 points &
up B =
160-170 C =
140-150 D = 120-130
A- =
176-179
B- = 156-159 C- =
136-139 D- = 116-119
B+ =
171-175
C+ = 151-155 D+ =
131-135 F = 115 &
below
OUTLINE
PART I -- OVERVIEW
Jan. 15 -- Introduction to the Course
Jan 17 -- Congress, Representation and the Public
Read:
Davidson, ch. 1, Dodd, ch. 3 (Hibbing & Larimer)
Jan. 22 -- Evolution of Congress
Read: Davidson, ch. 2
Jan. 24-29 -- The Contemporary Condition of Congress
Read: Dodd,
Prologue and chs. 1 (Sinclair)
and 2 (Dodd
& Oppenheimer); Panagopoulos, ch. 1
PART II -- ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGN MONEY
Feb. Jan 31-Feb.7 -- Elections and Constituencies
Read: Davidson, chs. 3-4; Dodd, chs. 4 (Erikson), 5 (Herrnson), 6 (Oppenheimer) and 7 (Fiorina)
Feb. 12-14 -- Campaign Finance and Prospects for Reform
Read: tba
Feb. 19-21 -- Hill Style and Homestyle
Read:
Davidson, ch. 5
Feb. 26 -- First
Midterm Exam
Feb. 28 -- Discussion of Congressional Ethics
No reading
Have a great break!
PART III -- CONGRESS AS AN INSTITUTION
March 11 -- The Organization of Congress: Parties and Leadership
Read: -- Davidson, ch. 6; Dodd, chs. 8 (Smith & Gramm), 9 Shickler & Pearson), and10 (Evans & Lipinski)
March 13-18 -- Committees
Read: Davidson, ch. 7;
Dodd
chs. 11 (Aldrich & Rohde) and 12
(Gordon); Panagopoulos ch. 2
March 20 -- No class, Prof. Walcott at a
professional meeting
Read: Davidson, chs. 8 and 9
March 27 -- Second Midterm Exam
April 1-3 -- Congress and the Executive Branch
Read: Davidson, ch. 10 and 11;
Dodd, ch 16 (Cooper)
April 8-10 -- The Politics of Transportation
Read:
Davidson, ch. 13; Panagopoulos ch. 4-6
April 15 -- Congress and the Judiciary
Read: Davidson, ch. 12; Dodd, ch. 13 (Binder & Maltzman)
Analytical
essays due
April 22
PART IV -- CONGRESS AND PUBLIC POLICY
April 17 - 22 -- Policy Issues: Budgeting and
National Security
Read: Davidson, ch. 14 and 15; Dodd, chs. 14 (Rudder) and 15 (Wolfensberger)
April 24 -- Congress and Political Change
Read: Davidson, ch. 16; Dodd, chs. 17 (Haynie) and 18 (Dodd)
April 29 -- Third
Midterm Exam