Unit Assignment
U.S. Congress and Policy making: 70% of students will successfully research Congress members* policy making and evaluate and explain the positions members of Congress take on policy issues. [SLO fulfills the following Program Level Outcomes: Communication, Critical Thinking, Social and Personal Responsibility, as well as the following Course Level Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 7, 8.]
Activity for Assessment:
The framers granted to Congress both explicit powers and implied powers, by which the national government strengthened and broadened its authority. Today, a much more demographically diverse but ideologically polarized Congress exercises wide powers, its decision making influenced by shifting constituencies in a changing nation.
In answering the questions below, take the following facts into account:
1. The contrasting positions of Republican lawmakers and Democratic lawmakers on the various issues.
a. Will increased polarization of Republicans and Democrats in Congress continue to define the congressional agenda?
2. The nature of the Republican Party coalition and the nature of the Democratic Party coalition. (Party coalition is the term for the groups that tend to support a particular party, such as the voting support that black Americans give to the Democratic Party.)
a. Will the composition and policy making of Congress more broadly reflect the changing face of the United States?
1. Congress, a national institution, seems increasingly incapable of presenting constructive responses to national problems such as health care, drug policy, revision of social services, changing orientation of the military, and other issues. Can this be overcome within the existing institutional structure of Congress? What role can the American people and interest groups play in addressing important issues? Will technology significantly affect the ability of “average” citizens to influence Congress?
2. Individual members of Congress are generally viewed favorably by citizens In their own district. Examine both the voting record and the constituency work of your member of Congress and evaluate how good of a job that person is doing for your district. How does that rating differ from how you would rate Congress as a whole?
Think of an issue of specific importance to you. What, if anything, has Congress done regarding your issue? Has Congress passed a piece of legislation dealing with this topic? What does this legislation say? What committee normally deals with this issue? Is there a bill that hasn’t passed yet, but is stuck somewhere in a congressional committee? What is the expected impact of the legislation? How easy is it for an average citizen to follow a topic through the legislative process? (Students may be directed to the website maintained by the Library of Congress: