Introduction to Congress

This course seeks to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to Congress. The first half of the course addresses the nuts and bolts of how Congress operates in terms of foundational theories, the committee system, congressional elections, and congressional procedures. In the second half of the course we apply this knowledge to an exploration of how and why Congress pays attention to certain issues rather than others. Students are encouraged to view Congress not only as an institution unto itself but also as an institution that interacts with a variety of actors to shift public policy. (4 credits)