The Legislative Process: PSCI 320

About the Service

CongressionalResearch Service

Description:   The Congressional Research Service (CRS) works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for more than a century. 

CRS is well-known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective and nonpartisan. Its highest priority is to ensure that Congress has 24/7 access to the nation’s best thinking. The Congressional Research Services publishes over 700 reports every year that clearly define issues and procedures in a legislative context. 

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) serves as shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process – from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities.

CRS approaches complex topics from a variety of perspectives and examines all sides of an issue. Staff members analyze current policies and present the impact of proposed policy alternatives.

CRS services come in many forms:

• reports on major policy issues
• tailored confidential memoranda, briefings, and consultations
• seminars and workshops
• expert congressional testimony
• responses to individual inquiries

With public policy issues growing more complex, the need for insightful and comprehensive analysis has become vital. Congress relies on CRS to marshal interdisciplinary resources, encourage critical thinking and create innovative frameworks to help legislators form sound policies and reach decisions on a host of difficult issues. These decisions will guide and shape the nation today and for generations to come.

I assigned several of these reports, which focused on the organizational and procedural aspects of Congress and the legislative process.  

Authors:  Library of Congress
Formats: I download the reports in PDF format and make them available.

Supplemental resources:  I often supplement the text with news reports on current political affairs posted at https://www.realclearpolitics.com/ 

Cost savings:  I previously used the textbook, Congress and Its Members 13th (thirteenth) edition by Roger H Davidson, which costs $84 on Amazon. Since I could have 70 students in an academic year, the total potential savings for students is $5,880. 

Accessibility and diversity statement:  The BARD Mobile app is a service of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) at the Library of Congress that provides access to braille and talking books directly from the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD).

License:

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About the Course

PSCI 320: The Legislative Process

Description:  Law-making processes in the United States and/or other selected political systems.

Prerequisites:  There are no prerequisites for this course

Learning outcomes:

• Students will understand and analyze the different political theories that have informed the design and operation of the American legislative process. 
• Students will understand and analyze the institutional development and modern operation of Congress. 
• Students will understand and analyze how the current legislative process shapes the behavior of representatives in Congress and the interaction that occurs between members of Congress, interest groups, and the bureaucracy during the lawmaking process. 
• Students will understand how to research the legislative process.    

Curricular changes:  There were no major curricular changes.

Teaching and learning impacts:

Collaborate more with other faculty: No
Use wider range of teaching materials: Yes
Student learning improved: Yes
Student retention improved: Unsure
Any unexpected results: No

I now supplement information included in the assigned Congressional Research Service reports with current events being reported in the news. 

Students are able to learn from experts in a forum that will continue to be a valuable resource for further research throughout students’ education and career. The reports assigned are clearly written and organized, so students come to class with a solid basis of understanding from which to analyze and discuss the topic. 

Sample assignment and syllabus:

Assignment
This is a copy of the guidelines for the term paper in the course.

Syllabus
This is the syllabus I used in Fall 2017 for this class.

Service Adoption

OER Adoption Process

I chose to use Congressional Research Service reports instead of the previously used textbook Congress and Its Members to save students money and to familiarize students with a valuable resource that they can continue to use throughout their education and career. I am familiar with the site because I have used Congressional Research Service reports in my own research for several years.

I assigned one additional textbook for the course, Congress: Keystone of the Washington Establishment by Morris P. Fiorina, which can be purchased online for as little as $2.00. 

Student access: 

I download the reports in PDF format and then post them to Blackboard.

Student feedback or participation:

Students reported relief at the minimal textbook cost and appreciation that the Congressional Research Service reports were written in a clear and accessible writing style. Students came to class with a foundational understanding that contributed to productive class discussion. The reports also contain valuable links to additional resources, which were useful to students seeking to conduct additional research on a given topic.   

Christina Villegas, Ph.D. 

I am a political science assistant professor at the California State University, San Bernardino. I teach:

• PSCI203: American Government
• PSCI310: Classical Political Thought
• PSCI311: Foundations of Modern Political Thought
• PSCI313: Modern Political Thought
• PSCI314: American Political Thought
• PSCI320: Legislative Process
• PSCI528: Formulation of Public Policy
• PSCI530: Studies in Political Theory (Alexander Hamilton)

In my courses in American institutions and political thought, my goal is to help students understand the origins and design of the U.S. Constitution as well as the activities, organizational structure, and issues that define the contemporary American political system in comparison with those of other countries.  Through the use of primary and secondary sources, I encourage students to think about the transformation of American politics in both theory and practice and to consider the current manifestations of this transformation.  I tailor assignments to help students develop their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills, and I strive to present the material in an organized and engaging way.  I also incentivize staying up to date on local, national and international events, participating in class discussions, and involvement in the political process. In my experience, students are more likely to retain information when they understand how it applies to the world they live in.  My research interests are in the following areas:

• American Politics

• Public Policy

• Political Thought