POLI 190: Government In Action
Syllabus
Summer 2011 Instructors: MTW 10:00am-12:20pm Prof. Nathan Monroe KL 217 [email protected] Mr. Adam Gray [email protected]
Course Description
This is a course on the California State Legislative Process. It is designed to be a total "immersion" into the legislative process, particularly the California State Senate. The course is designed to help students understand the formal and informal hierarchies of influence, norms, expectations for behavior, complicated rules, and traditions. These factors affect the goals of individual members of the legislative process and how members act to achieve their goals. At the same time, the legislature is part of a larger political system. Members work in the context of constituent desires, interest group activity, the mass media, and electoral politics. And, all of this takes place with California's complex policy environment as a backdrop. The goal of this class is to learn how this system works, and how it interacts with the policy environment, by looking at it from the inside.
The core of the class is a simulation of the California State Senate, where students act as legislators, lobbyists, and journalists. The legislators play the roles of real members of the Senate and represent their districts in a legislative situation. Lobbyists--representing various interests--develop their respective legislative programs and attempt to gain their passage. A committee of journalists publishes a newspaper and helps transmit information, formally and informally, among players. Communication will also be aided by the use of email and the CROPS course site.
Learning Objectives Political Science Program Learning Objectives (PLO’s) 1. An understanding of the processes, theories, and empirical regularities of political institutions and political behavior in the student’s chosen emphasis area: American politics, comparative politics, or international relations. 2. An ability to employ critical thinking and demonstrate social scientific literacy, including basic quantitative literacy. 3. A capacity to utilize contemporary social science research methods to conduct rigorous research on political phenomena. 4. Effective written communication skills, especially the ability to convey complex concepts and information in a clear and concise manner. 5. An ability to apply abstract theory and research methods to understand contemporary political events and public policies. “ Government in Action” Student Learning Objectives (SLO’s) 1. To achieve an understanding of the structure and process of California's political system (Advances PLO 1) 2. To understand California's policy environment from both a practical and theoretical standpoint, and be able to articulate how it is affected by the political actors and institutions (Advances PLO 5) 3. To master the strategic political environment and interplay between legislative and electoral politics (Advances PLOs 1 & 5)
Assignments Your grades will be determined by your performance in six areas.
Area 1 (worth 10%): Procedure Quiz - There will be a 10 question quiz on the "Legislative Procedure" handout
Area 2 (worth 15%): Role profile - In preparation for playing your role in the simulation, you'll prepare a "profile" of the Senator/lobbyist/journalist that you're assigned to portray. The profile will be short, but detailed, and will be due by the end of the first week of classes.
Area 3 (worth 10%): Bills/Articles - Senators and lobbyists will each be required to write and submit two bills (no more, no less), due the second week of the class. Bills may not be longer than 5 pages. These bills will then be eligible to be worked on, amended, debated, and voted on during the rest of the simulation. Note that lobbyists will need to seek out a legislative member to submit their bill for them. In these cases, bills written by lobbyists WILL count toward the two bill limit for the Senator that introduces the bill, and will be double counted toward the grade of the Senator AND the lobbyist. Journalists will then choose an issue area and write an editorial/legislative profile of all of the bill introduced in that issue area.
Area 4 (worth 5%): Budget Process quiz - You'll have a 10 question quiz on the California budget process.
Area 5 (worth 30%): Accomplishments Profile - At the end of the simulation, you'll write a 5 page summary of your accomplishments and failures in the simulation. More details will be given on this assignment near the end of the semester.
Area 6 (worth 30%): Participation Grade - Your participation grade will be based on how well you represent your constituents, how active you are in pursuing your goals during the simulation, and how much time you into the process. Ultimately, this grade will be based on instructor evaluations, which will be heavily influence by your behavior.
Attendance Policy Typically, I avoid required attendance. This class is an exception. You must be heavily involved in the course for it to function. Your absence affects not only your own grade, but because of the interdependence of your role in the simulation, it also affects others. Accordingly, you will sign in at the beginning of each class session (beginning with the second class session). You may miss only three class sessions without penalty. For every session you miss beyond three, you will lose half a letter grade on your final class grade. If you miss more than six class meetings, you will be dropped from the course. Readings The only reading for the course that you will have to purchase is: California Politics: A Primer by Renee B. Van Vechten
This book will NOT be available in the bookstore. Instead, you'll need to order online, through a book vendor such as Amazon.com. You can find new and used copies for less than $15.
Other required readings for the course (listed below in the schedule) will be either handed out in class or posted in the Resources folder on the course's CROPS page.
Tentative schedule of readings and activities WEEK 1 May 23 Lecture Topic: Introduction and Organization Readings: "The California Senate", "California State Assembly", and "Legislative Procedure" (Handouts)
May 24 Lecture Topic: California's Political History, Direct Democracy Readings: Van Vechten, Chapters 1-3 LaVally, "California's Laws of the Century" (Handout)
May 25 Lecture Topic: The State Legislature and the Executive Branch Readings: Van Vechten, Chapters 4-5 Witko, "The California Legislature and the Decline of Majority Rule" (CROPS) Legislative Procedures Quiz
Role Profiles Due by 5pm on FRIDAY, MAY 27 on CROPS
WEEK 2 May 30 NO CLASS - MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY
May 31 Lecture Topic: Legislative Leadership Readings: "The Legislative Process: A Citizen's Guide to Participation" (Handout)
Cocktail Party at the Branding Iron at 5pm - Formalwear strongly encouraged.
June 1 Simulation Activity: Caucus Meetings SENATORS AND LOBBYISTS: Bills Due by 5pm on CROPS RULES COMMITTEE: Committee Bill Assignments List due by 5pm on FRIDAY, JUNE 3on CROPS/Email
WEEK 3 June 6 Lecture Topic: The Budget Process Readings: Van Vechten, Chapters 8-10 "The Budget Process: A Citizen's Guide to Participation" (Handout)
Simulation Activity: Agriculture & Labor Committee Meetings JOURNALISTS ONLY: Issue Area Articles Due by 9am on CROPS/Email
June 7 Lecture Topic: Term Limits and the legacy of Willie Brown Readings: Brown, "Basic Brown"
Simulation Activity: Business and Human Services Committee Meetings Budget Process Quiz
June 8 Simulation Activity: Floor Session
WEEK 4 June 13 Lecture Topic: Legislative Bargaining and Compromise Readings: "State Politicians Remember Maddy" (CROPS) " Maddy: Man to get stuff done in Senate" (CROPS)
Simulation Activity: Agriculture & Labor Committee Meetings (DEADLINE FOR FISCAL BILLS) June 14 Guest Speaker Readings: TBA
Simulation Activity: Business and Human Services Committee Meetings (DEADLINE FOR FISCAL BILLS) June 15 Simulation Activity: Appropriations Committee Meetings/Floor Session
WEEK 5 June 20 Lecture Topic: Executive Influence in the Legislature Readings: Cannon, "Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power" (CROPS)
Simulation Activity: Agriculture & Labor Committee Meetings
June 21 Guest Speaker Readings: TBA
Simulation Activity: Business and Human Services Committee Meetings
June 22 Simulation Activity: Appropriations Committee Meetings/Floor Session
WEEK 6 June 27 Guest Speaker Readings: TBA
Simulation Activity: Agriculture & Labor Committee Meetings
June 28 Guest Speaker Readings: TBA
Simulation Activity: Business and Human Services Committee Meetings
June 29 Simulation Activity: Floor Session FEILD TRIP TO THE STATE CAPITOL
July 1 Accomplishments Profile Due by 5pm on Friday, July 1.