Traditional Research Paper
You must draw from at least five scholarly sources outside of the syllabus. At minimum, this includes two academic books and three journal articles. Journal articles must be peer reviewed to count. The bibliography must be in APA format.
Choose one of following paper options.
1. Policy Process. Trace the policy process of one recent law as it was crafted in committees, made its way through both chambers, and was signed by the president. Explain which legislators and interest groups were influential, what – if any – veto bargaining took place, and how the bill was modified throughout the process until it became law.
2. Congressional Oversight or Impeachment. Evaluate the effectiveness of congressional oversight of a federal agency or the impact of a specific investigation by a House or Senate committee. Or, compare the current impeachment with prior experiences in American history. Include factors such as party control, presidential-congressional relations, and individual political ambitions in your analysis.
3. Reform. Weigh the pros and cons of a reform proposal from one of the following areas: House redistricting, the Senate filibuster, congressional term limits, or campaign finance. Explain how your chosen reform would impact the quality of democratic representation, government accountability, and the health of the U.S. Congress as a governing institution.
4. Pitch me a Topic. Choose a research topic related to an aspect of the U.S. Congress that intrigues you as a student-scholar. In order to take advantage of this topic, you must write out a brief two or three sentence paragraph explaining your topic and potential thesis – that is, the kind of argument that you expect to make. Together, you and I will identify a manageable project to pursue.
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