POLS 3200 Syllabus

Political Science 3200	Dr. Jay A. DeSart
Fall 2019	E-Mail: JDeSart@uvu.edu
Room: CB 308	Office: CB 203U	(801) 863-6314
T, Th: 11:30 - 12:45 PM	Office Hours:	T,Th 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM,
http://desart.us/courses/3200/		1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

U.S. Congress

I. Course Objective

This course is designed to explore the operation of the United States Congress. An understanding of this institution entails more than simply an overview of its constitutional powers, therefore we will examine the processes of democratic accountability and the impact they have on the decision-making/ policy-making process. You will develop an understanding of:

the origin and evolution of the institution of Congress
the notion of representation
the dynamics of congressional elections
the incentives and behavior of individual representatives
the structure and function of the party system
the relationship between party leaders and rank and file members
the operation of the committee system
the nature and evolution of the relationship between the President and Congress
the dynamics of the legislative process in both domestic and foreign policy

This course is part of the American Politics upper-division track of the Political Science degree program. It addresses UVU's Integrative and Applied Learning and Stewards of Place Essential Learning Outcomes.

II. Required Textbooks

        Two textbooks have been ordered for the course and are available for purchase at the campus bookstore:

Davidson, Roger H. and Walter J. Oleszek, Francis E. Lee, and Eric Schickler. Congress and its Members. 16th Edition. CQ Press.

Dodd, Lawrence C. and Bruce I, Oppenheimer Congress Reconsidered. 11th Edition. CQ Press

III. Expectations of Students

        Students are expected to keep up with assigned readings and participate in class discussion. Lecture and discussion will be much more meaningful if the students come to class prepared.
        With respect to class attendance and participation, I direct you to your academic responsibilities as stated in the Student Code in the College Catalog:

Each student is expected to take an active role in the learning process by meeting course requirements as specified in the written syllabus.

An "active role" includes regular attendance. Whether or not you choose to attend class is entirely your choice. However, you should be aware that missing class will hinder you in meeting course requirements. By failing to attend class, for whatever reason, you assume the responsibility of your choice.

The Student Code also states that it is your responsibility to "maintain academic ethics and avoid dishonesty in all its forms". No academic dishonesty will be tolerated in this course. The penalty for a first offense is an "F" for the assignment or exam. A second offense will result in a failing grade for the course and you will be reported to the Department Chair and Student Advising for further action. For more information on the Student Code and for definitions of what constitutes "academic dishonesty" please refer to the Student Rights and Responsibilities section of the College Catalog.

IV. Grading

The grade for this course will be based upon three examinations and a series of online chapter quizzes from the Dodd and Oppenheimer book. Two of the exams will occur at approximately the 6th and 12th weeks of the term. The exams will be comprised of objective multiple choice and matching questions as well as an essay question. The dates for these exams are presented below in the course schedule. The final exam will be both objective and essay, and will be partly cumulative but primary emphasis will be on material covering the latter part of the course. The final exam is scheduled for:
Tuesday December 10, 2019 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM

The approximate weights of each of these items in the calculation of the course grade will be:

TOTAL	300 points
First Exam - October 1	70 points
Second Exam - November 5	70 points
Final Exam - December 12	100 points
Canvas Quizzes	60 points

        There will be absolutely no make-up exams except in situations of dire circumstances of which you should inform me in advance. Official documentation (i.e. note from a doctor, your own obituary, etc.) for the reason for missing the exam will be required, and such documentation should be very specific indicating your inability to be in class a the time of the exam. In other words, you better be sick enough to warrant a trip to the doctor if you are going to miss an exam. Make-up exams will be scheduled in the Testing Center, and you should be aware that it is their policy to impose a $4.00 charge for this service.

V. Student Needs

        Students with questions are encouraged to meet with me during scheduled office hours. If you have conflicts with scheduled office hours see me so we can make an attempt to make an appointment at another time convenient to both the both of us. You are also encouraged to contact me via e-mail at: jdesart@uvu.edu.
        Students who need accommodations because of a disability may contact the UVU Accessibility Services Department (ASD), located on the Orem Campus in LC 312. To schedule an appointment or to speak with a counselor, call the ASD office at 801-863-8747. Deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals, use the video phone number, 886-760-1819. Special accomodations cannot be given unless and until the student has coordinated them with ASD.

VI. Reading Assignments

Date	Topic	Readings
Date	Topic	D, O, L & S	Dodd & Oppenheimer
8/20	Congress: Nature and Change
8/24	Congress: Nature and Change	1, 2
8/27	The Electoral Connection: Redistricting and Nominations	3
8/29	American Political Science Association Conference - NO CLASS
9/3	The Electoral Connection: Incumbents, Challengers, and Open Seats	4	3
9/5
9/10
9/12	The Electoral Connection: Parties, PACs, Campaigns, and Money		4
9/17	The Electoral Connection: Voters, Midterms, and Coattails
9/19	The Electoral Connection: Voters, Midterms, and Coattails		5
9/24	Members, Leaders & Parties First Exam Review - 9/26	5
9/26	Members, Leaders & Parties First Exam Review - 9/26	6	7
First Exam Tuesday October 1
10/3	Committees and Interest Groups	7
10/8	Committees and Interest Groups	13	11
10/10	The Legislative Process	8
10/15	The Legislative Process		8
10/17	Fall Break - NO CLASS
10/22	The Legislative Process (cont'd)	9	2
10/24	The Legislative Process (cont'd)		1
10/29	Congress and the President: Branches in Conflict Second Exam Review - 10/31	10
10/31			15
Second Exam Tuesday November 5
11/7	The Bureaucracy: A Pawn in the Conflict	11
11/12	Congress and the Courts	12	16
11/14	Policy Outputs: Domestic Policy	14
11/19	NO CLASS - Thanksgiving Break
11/21	NO CLASS - Thanksgiving Break
11/26	Policy Outputs: Domestic Policy (cont'd)		12
11/28	Policy Outputs: Foreign Policy	15	17
12/3	Congress: Individual Incentives and Collective Action Final Exam Review - 12/5	16
12/5
Final Exam Tuesday December 12, 2019 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM