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. Rather than focusing solely on the nuts and bolts of how Congress operates in isolation, this course seeks to understand how Congress interacts with other actors -- both inside and outside of government -- to shape national policy.  By the end of the semester, students should be able to track and explain changes in congressional attention to an issue over time; develop an integrative, rather than insular, view of Congress and American politics more broadly; and understand the role of institutional design in constraining which issues are placed on the agenda and the importance of those constraints for policy outcomes.