Classes

Gov 98nm: Race and Representation

Semester: 
Spring
Offered: 
2011
Spring 2011 Course Page

The aim of this course is to research the basic question of whether it matters for black Americans to be represented by black elected officials.  This question will be explored in terms of the normative concerns of what representation should entail in a democracy, the impact of descriptive representation on the realization of black policy aims, and the effects of black elected officials on the behavior of their constituents.

Gov 1310: Introduction to Congress

Semester: 
Spring
Offered: 
2011
Spring 2011 Course Page

This course seeks to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Congress as both a representative and policymaking institution.  The course is an ``introduction" in that the material does not require any prior knowledge of the U.S. Congress.  Initially, the readings focus on questions of representation, namely how electoral incentives shape legislative behavior.  With that foundation, the second half of the course examines how the institutional structure translates these representational aspects into policymaking.

Gov 2356: Agenda Setting and Representation in Congress

Semester: 
Fall
Offered: 
2010
Fall 2010 Course Page

Our goal in this course is not only to be exposed to arguments and evidence on various aspects of agenda setting and representation, but more importantly, the goal is to design and conduct original research so that we might contribute to the literature. With this latter goal in mind, the course is a bit of an experiment.  Typically, graduate-level seminars are designed to train students in the critical analysis of a piece of scholarship.  After two or three years of such courses we generally find that we are far more equipped to criticize than we are to contribute.

Gov 1524: Agenda Setting in Congress

Semester: 
Spring
Offered: 
2009
Spring 2009 Course Page

This course addresses a central question in American politics: Why does Congress pay attention to some issues and ignore others?  We will seek to answer this question by exploring how institutional design privileges the status quo; the politics behind how problems are defined; the role of political entrepreneurs; and the various avenues that are available for citizens to impact the policy process.