POLS 421 Political Parties and Interest Groups (71535)
Time: 11:15-12:05 MWF Office: 1008A McClung Tower
Instructor: Anthony Nownes Office Hours: 10-11 MWF
Place: HSS 112 and by appointment
Email:
Introduction
Political parties and interest groups are enduring parts of American political life. We depend upon such organizations to represent us before government and to ensure that policy-makers understand our preferences and desires. This course is split (roughly) in half. The first half focuses upon interest groups. The second half focuses upon parties. The theme of the course is as follows: Parties and interest groups are important linkage institutions in America, and to understand American politics we must understand where they come from, what they do, and how they influence public policy.
Books
The following items are available at the UT Bookstore and are required reading for the course:
1. Jeffrey Berry. The Interest Group Society, 3rd ed. New York: Longman. (CODE: JB)
2. William J. Keefe. Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America, 8th ed. (Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 1998). (CODE: WK)
3. David Magleby, ed. Outside Money: Soft Money and Issue Advocacy in the 1998 Congressional Elections. (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000). (CODE: DM)
Grading
Your grade will be calculated as follows:
A = 900 – 1000 points
B = 800 – 899 points
C = 700 – 799 points
D = 600 – 699 points
F = 599 points an below
You will earn points as follows:
100 points for Attendance/Participation
100 points for small paper
200 points for Big Quizzes
200 points for the Final Exam
400 points for two Midterm Exams
There will be no extra credit!
Attendance
I will take roll every day. You may be excused from class (or given credit for attending a class you did not actually attend) if you have written evidence of sickness, infirmity, or commitment to a university-sanctioned extracurricular activity. Appeals will be heard in other cases. Appeals are very seldom granted.
Course Schedule
Week 1 What is an interest group?
1/9
1/11 Read JB chs. 1 and 2
Week 2
1/14
Where do interest groups come from?
1/16-1/18 Read JB ch. 4
Week 3
1/21
1/23
1/25
Week 4 What do interest groups do? Part I: Information, grassroots lobbying, and lobbyists
1/28 Read JB ch. 8
1/30
2/1 Read JB ch. 5
Week 5
2/4 Read JB ch. 6
2/6
2/8
Week 6 What do interest groups do? Part II: Lobbying with money
2/11 Read JB ch. 6
2/13 Read DM ch. 3
2/15
Week 7
2/18 Midterm #1
2/20
2/22
Week 8 How powerful are interest groups?
2/25 Read JB ch. 9
2/27
2/29
Week 9 Interest group wrap up
3/4 Read, JB ch. 10
3/6
3/8
Week 10 What is a political party?
3/11 Read WK ch. 1
3/13 Read WK ch. 2
3/15
Week 11 Parties and nominations.
3/25 Read WK ch. 3
3/27
Week 12 Parties and campaign finance.
4/1 Read WK ch. 4
4/3 Read DM chs. 1, 2, 4, 6, and 9
4/5
Week 13 Parties and the electorate.
4/8 Read WK ch. 5
4/10 Small paper due
4/12
Week 14
4/15
4/17 Midterm #2
4/19
Week 15 Parties and policy
4/22 Read WK ch. 6
4/24 Read WK ch. 7
4/26
Week 16 Conclusion
4/29