Fall 2021  |  POL 3310H Section 001: Topics in American Politics -- Women in the US Congress (35240)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
Honors
Topics Course
Enrollment Requirements:
honors student
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/07/2021 - 12/15/2021
Tue, Thu 11:15AM - 12:30PM
UMTC, West Bank
Hubert H Humphrey Center 30
Enrollment Status:
Open (13 of 25 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Topics in American politics.
Class Description:

This honors course examines gender dynamics in the U.S. Congress and the ways in which congresswomen affect representation and policy making, along with the factors that enhance and constrain women's election to Congress and women's influence and legislative effectiveness in Congress. We focus on gender dynamics in congressional elections, representation, the legislative process, and the pursuit of power inside Congress. We explore political science research about women in legislative politics from a range of theoretical and methodological approaches. Throughout this course, we will analyze the ways in which sex and gender-based issues and discrimination intersect with other politically relevant categories, identities, and forms of marginalization, such as race, class, and ideological and partisan identification.

One hundred seventeen women serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and 24 women serve in the U.S. Senate. Although the number of congresswomen has increased during the last two decades - only 25 women served in the U.S. Congress thirty years ago - women remain dramatically underrepresented. We begin the course by uncovering the sources of women's underrepresentation by studying gender differences in candidate emergence and congressional elections. Next, we ask whether congresswomen and congressmen advocate different policy agendas and issue positions. We consider the representational implications of the gender differences we uncover, including substantive policy differences and non-policy benefits that are conferred to citizens when women occupy positions of political power. We analyze the institutional features of Congress, asking how congressional parties, committee, and rules may help and hinder congresswomen pursuing power and policy.
Learning Objectives:

The major goal of this class is for you to understand how gender shapes, and is shaped by, legislative politics. The course is divided into six sections: (1) Introduction and Theoretical Perspectives; (2) Underrepresentation in Congress; (3) Congressional Elections; (4) Representation; Parties in Congress; (5) Committees and Caucuses in Congress; and (6) Legislative Effectiveness and Policymaking. By the end of the semester, you should be able to:

· Understand basic theories about sex and gender and how they intersect with other identities as they apply to legislative politics;

· Articulate how sex/gender matters to several aspects of legislative politics, parties, committees, legislative politics, relationships with the Executive branch and interest groups, and the policymaking process;

· Master basic empirical facts about sex/gender and the U.S. Congress;

· Better understand political institutions and the policymaking process;

· Collect data about 20 members of Congress, and, along with data collected by classmates that includes all members of Congress, conduct and present original empirical research; and

· Improve your analytic ability.
Grading:

Students will closely track the congressional careers of several members of Congress in three short papers and data collection assignments. Students will write a research paper of at least ten pages that addresses one of the themes of the course using the data that we collect as a class, and students will share their findings with the class in a short presentation near the end of the semester. In addition, there will be a take-home midterm and an in-class midterm. Class sessions will include lecture and discussion. Class participation is an essential component of this course. Students are expected to attend regularly, to read the assigned readings prior to class, and to come to class prepared to discuss the course material. On occasion, I will distribute questions about the readings. Sometimes, you will be asked to respond to the questions while completing the readings. Other times, I will distribute the questions during the class in which we are discussing the readings.

Grades will be determined as follows:

10% Class participation

20% Take-home midterm exam

20% In-class midterm exam

25% 3 short papers and data collection

25% Research paper and presentation
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/35240/1219
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
14 April 2021

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