Course Description
Broad survey course of congressional elections. Topics discussed include the incumbency advantage, the role of strategic politicians, the impact of money in congressional elections, the effects of local and national tides on congressional races, and differences between House and Senate races.
Athena Title
Politic Congressional Elec Hon
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in POLS 4605
Non-Traditional Format
This course will involve greater levels of participation and more writing among the students. In particular, the course will be conducted more like a seminar where the Honors students are responsible for presenting weekly readings after the initial weeks of class. Also, the students will be required to write several shorter papers along with a final research paper to justify Honors credit for the course. Overall, it will not involve traditional lectures like the non-Honors version of the course, but instead more direct participation where the Honors students will learn from each other in addition to input from the instructor.
Prerequisite
(POLS 1101 or POLS 1105H or POLS 1101E) and permission of Honors
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will involve a significant participation and writing component. This course is intended as a broad survey of the literature on congressional elections. The central focus of the course will be the U.S. Congress, but much of what we discuss will have direct relevance for the study of elections more generally. The course will deal primarily with political actors in the context of elections, rather than voters. We will focus on diverse topics such as the incumbency advantage, the role of strategic politicians, the impact of money in congressional elections, the effects of national and local tides on congressional races, and differences between House and Senate races. Along the way, we will pay attention to current political and scholarly controversies (as well as some “classics”) in terms of understanding factors affecting outcomes in congressional races. By the end of the semester, you should have a better understanding of the nature of congressional elections research.
Topical Outline
The Electoral Connection Electoral Accountability Strategic Politicians The Incumbency Advantage Money in Congressional Elections Congressional Campaigns Senate Elections Midterm Elections Ambition, Gender, and Politics Redistricting and Representation
Syllabus