Congress

Takes a comprehensive view of the U.S. Congress, its structure, procedures, elections, parties, constituencies and its interactions with the president and the courts. The Constitution establishes the Congress as the first branch and guardian of the nation's purse strings. This course will examine the strengths and vulnerabilities of the modern Congress with its highly polarized political parties. Requires extensive reading, a detailed paper and active class participation. Students are expected to pay careful attention to current events in the U.S Congress. Enrollment limited to 20 juniors and seniors in Political Science.