Congress UCSD 2007

POLI 100B CONGRESS

Winter Quarter AY2006-2007
Department of Political Science
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA 92093-0521

Classroom: SOLIS 104
Time: 8:00PM - 9:20PM Tuesday and Thursday

Instructor: Keith T. Poole

Office: 368 Social Science Building
E-Mail: kpoole@ucsd.edu
WebSite: Voteview Home Page
Office Hours: 2:00 - 4:00PM Wednesdays

Graders:

Joel Johnson, jwjohnson@ucsd.edu, Room SSB 444, Office Hours: Tuesdays, 3:00-4:00PM

Justin Gottschalk, jgottsch@weber.ucsd.edu, Room SSB 328, Office Hours: Thursdays, 6:00-8:00PM

The following texts will be used in this course:

Dodd, Lawrence C. and Bruce I. Oppenheimer (2005). Congress Reconsidered
Poole, Keith T. and Howard Rosenthal (2007). Ideology and Congress
Stewart, Charles III. (2000). Analyzing Congress
Jacobson, Gary C. (2004). The Politics of Congressional Elections

Requirements

Grades will be determined by two examinations -- one midsemester exam and a final exam. The exams will consist of essay and short answer questions.

The Midterm Exam is scheduled for Thursday, 15 February 2007 from 8:00 - 9:00PM.

The Final Exam is scheduled for Wednesday, 21 March 2007 from 7:00 - 10:00PM.

Course Outline

The Historical Origins of the U.S. Congress

Assignment:

Chapters 1, 2 and 3, Analyzing Congress
The U.S. Constitution, Appendix B of Analyzing Congress
Chapters 1 and 2, The Politics of Congressional Elections

Lecture 11 January 2007

Lecture 16 January 2007

Lecture 18 January 2007

Congress and the Political System: The Current State of Affairs

Assignment:

Preface, Prologue, and Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 7, Congress Reconsidered

Lecture 23 January 2007
Lecture 25 January 2007

Ideology, Party, and Polarization in Congress

Assignment:

Chapter 7, Analyzing Congress
Chapters 8, 9, and 10, Congress Reconsidered
Chapters 1 - 4, and 6, Ideology and Congress

Lecture 30 January 2007

Lecture 1 February 2007

Lecture 6 February 2007

Lecture 8 February 2007

Lecture 13 February 2007

Congressional Elections

Assignment:

Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6, The Politics of Congressional Elections
Chapters 4, 5, and 6, Analyzing Congress
Chapters 4, 5, and 6, Congress Reconsidered
Chapter 5, Ideology and Congress

Lecture 20 February 2007

Lecture 22 February 2007

Lecture 27 February 2007

Lecture 1 March 2007

Lecture 6 March 2007

The Internal Organization of Congress

Assignment:

Chapters 8 and 9, Analyzing Congress
Chapters 11, 12, and 13, Congress Reconsidered
Chapter 9, Ideology and Congress

Lecture 8 March 2007

Lecture 13 March 2007

Congress, the Growth of Government, and the Economy

Assignment:

Chapter 7, The Politics of Congressional Elections
Chapters 14, 15, and 16, Congress Reconsidered
Chapter 12, Ideology and Congress

Lecture 15 March 2007

Site Links

NOMINATE Data, Roll Call Data, and Software

Course Web Pages: UC San Diego (2004 - )

University of San Diego Law School (2005)

Course Web Pages: University of Houston (2000 - 2005)

Course Web Pages: Carnegie-Mellon University (1997 - 2000)

Spatial Models of Parliamentary Voting

Recent Working Papers

Analyses of Recent Politics

About This Website

K7MOA Log Books: 1960 - 2006

Bio of Keith T. Poole