Course Description:

This course will examine and analyze the origins, foundations, and attributes of the struggle between the president, the presidency and the Congress. Students will acquire an understanding of each institution, including the different constituencies served, varying organizational structures, and the often overlapping responsibilities with which each institution is charged. We will trace the history and nature of the relationship between Congress and the president, from the early Constitutional struggles to the present age of divided government. A discussion of the intent of the Founders to intentionally build "gridlock" into the relationship between Congress and the president, will inform the class of the potential problem of deadlock, the cyclical nature and factors of congressional and presidential ascendancy and decline, and the place of a uniquely American bureaucracy in the political mix. Not to be left out, we will assess the influence of political parties and the media in this "cauldron of contention." The history of particular administrations, the powers of the president, executive leadership and policy making will be the major focus of our study of the presidency. In understanding Congress we will concentrate on committees and the committee system as well as the more general topics of Congressional leadership and the delegation of legislative authority to the executive. Finally, we concentrate on the relationship between this triad (Congress the president and the bureaucracy) and their bosses, the American people.
 

Student goals:

At the end of the course the student should have an extensive knowledge of basic operating procedures in Congress, the significance of the electoral process, and the precise means and nature of a bill becoming a law. You will understand the different institutional responsibilities attached to Congress and the presidency and the basic ways in which the presidency has developed and been organized. You will also understand the constituent as well as the institutional differences between the president and presidency. Through individual research projects each student will understand the conflicts and resolutions a specific recent government has endured.

Evaluation Process:

Papers: There are two required papers. Each paper will be 15 to 20 double-spaced pages. The first paper will constitute 20% of your final grade. This paper will focus on the relationship between Congress and the presidency during a post-war administration of your choice (i.e., from Truman through Clinton). Decide which administration you will analyze and begin reading background material now. A good beginning source is Mark Peterson, "Legislating Together: The White House and Capitol Hill form Truman to Reagan" Harvard University Press, 1990.

The second paper, 20 % of your final grade, is due on the last day of class. This paper will analyze the behavior of a congressional committee in the 104th, 105th or 106th Congress. I will ask you to use that committee's experience in order to answer questions about the issues raised by the course, such as:

Electoral or constituency influences on the committee, e.g. the extent to which it represents a full cross section of the nation or particular interests;

  The balance (or lack thereof) between partisanship and committee independence within the committee's decision making; e.g., the extent to which the committee makes and can enforce bipartisan decisions, or alternatively follows direction from outside party leaders;

  The influence of the president on the committee's output (or lack thereof);

  The fate of the committee's priorities within the budget process.

Please choose your committee early. Good sources for these papers are the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, the major newspapers, and specialized journals (e.g. the Agricultural Trade Press). For some committees, there will be too much material to address all the possible concerns in that space; others will be simple enough that you can. I strongly advise that you meet with me to talk about what you are finding and what to cover in the paper.
 

Exams: There will be two in-class essay exams which will require you to evaluate material "on the fly." The ability to think and write on your feet will be invaluable in your future. Each exam is worth 20% of the total grade.
 

Participation: In an Honors class discussion among and between students is paramount. As much as anything, in a seminar setting students learn from each other. Toward this end participation is an integral part of the total grade and I will take it very seriously. Ten percent may not seem like much but it will mean the difference between an excellent and a good grade.

Self evaluations: On the second week of class, each student will submit a statement of their personal goals for this course. This statement should be as specific and detailed as possible. Plan your method for meeting the responsibilities of this course, set weekly goals and time schedules, or whatever will help you do well in the course. I also want you to think about why you are taking this particular course and how it fits in with your overall learning goals. On the last day of class, you will turn in a self evaluation in which you will analyze how well you met your goals, how your goals changed, and what unforeseen goals or challenges which emerged. You will then assign yourself an over-all grade based on your performance in this course. That grade will constitute 10 percent of your final grade.
 
 
 

Assignment	Grade Value
First Paper	20%
Second Paper	20%
First Exam	20%
Second Exam	20%
Participation	10%
Self-Evaluation	10%