POLS511 - Political Parties and Interest Group Behavior

Course Objective 1: Analyze the past and future of the American party system.

Course Objective 2: Investigate the role of race, age, gender, class, and occupation in voting behavior.

Course Objective 3: Consider the advantages and disadvantages of various party nomination systems.

Course Objective 4: Debate the role of political parties in presidential nominations.

Course Objective 5: Understand the history of major party performance in the Electoral College.

Course Objective 6: Dissect the theory and practice of responsible party government.

Course Objective 7: Apply pluralist theory, disturbance theory, and collective action theory to contemporary American politics.

Course Objective 8: Identify the four major types of political action committees, with examples.

Course Requirements: You final grade is a compilation of the following:

Forum Participation. Questions are posted for you to research and discuss. You are expected to post your initial response by Friday at 11:55 pm and reply substantively to your classmates by Sunday at 11:55 pm.

Research paper: A 3000-3500 word research paper is due Sunday at 11:55 of the seventh week. Topics must be approved by the professor. Possible topics include:

-campaign finance

-super PACs

-party in the electorate

-party as an organization

-parties in government

-Congressional parties

-presidents and political parties

-critical elections/ partisan realignment

-third parties

-independent voters

-theories of interest groups

-interest group society critiques

-interest group entrepreneurs

-lobbying regulations

-analyze the goals and strategies of a specific interest group

Final Exam. There will be an open book essay final exam, with two essay questions. The exam is due Sunday at 11:55 pm of the eighth week.

Recommended reading

Political Parties

Leon D. Epstein, Political Parties in the American Mold (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1986).

Marc J. Hetherington and Bruce A. Larson, Parties, Politics, and Public Policy in America, 11th edition (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2009).

Paul S. Herrnson, Congressional Elections: Campaigning at Home and in Washington, 6th edition (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2011

Sidney Milkis, Political Parties and Constitutional Government: Remaking American Democracy (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999).

James Reichley, The Life of the Parties (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000).

Interest Groups

Jeffrey M. Berry, The Interest Group Society (New York: Longman, 2009).

Allen J. Cigler and Burdett Loomis, Interest Group Politics (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2011), 8th edition.

Matt Grossman, The Not-So-Special Interests: Interest Groups, Public Representation, and American Governance (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2012).

Paul S. Herrnson, Clyde Wilcox, and Ronald G. Shaiko, The Interest Group Connection: Electioneering, Lobbying, and Policymaking in Washington (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2004).

Mancur Olson, The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1965).