U.S. Congress
Congress scholar Richard F. Fenno, Jr. claimed in 1973 that all legislators held three goals: reelection, institutional influence, and good public policy. Since that time, few researchers studying Congress have questioned Fenno’s assertion. In this class, we will consider the question of how individual legislators balance these three goals. In our attempt to answer that question, we will examine how legislators lead two political lives: one in their districts or states, and one on Capitol Hill. Sometimes these lives are distinct, but often they overlap. We will focus on what roles voters and fellow legislators play in the daily lives of legislators and how those relationships have changed since Fenno first made his claim.
A large part of this course revolves around a semester-long congressional simulation. The simulation is meant to give a taste of how real legislators balance their goals. As part of this exercise, students will be assigned a political party and a seat in the House of Representatives. Students must then embrace their identity and in the process develop an understanding of their district and who exactly they will be representing. During the simulation, students will work within committees and on the floor to advance bills and represent the interests of their constituencies. At the end of the simulation, students will review and summarize their efforts in a letter to their constituents.
Homework Assignments
Congressional Simulation Assignments