This course is an introduction to the study of the United States Congress. You will be introduced to a significant, but far from exhaustive, number of prominent works in the field of legislative studies. The readings in the course will introduce students to important theoretical approaches to the study of legislative politics and the application of such theories to the empirical studies of Congress. In particular, we will focus heavily upon works in the “new institutionalism” and rational choice schools. Some of the specific topics of inquiry we will study this term include institutional development and change in the US Congress; theoretical treatments of congressional organization and committees; the role of parties and party leadership in the legislative process, and the emergence and significance of ideological polarization in Congress. The literature on Congress and legislative politics is vast and continues to grow. The readings in this course are far from exhaustive, but serve as a somewhat representative sample of the important debates and methodologies in the subfield today. 

Email registration to timothy.nokken@uta.fi by 20 October 2014

Essay assignment, written exams